Indian pilot hailed as hero after mid-air cockpit stabbing on FlyDubai flight
Capt. Smit Machchhar was seriously injured by his Omani co-pilot. Passengers described how the pilot still managed to open the cockpit door to let them in
An Indian pilot, Captain Smit Machchhar, has been hailed as a hero after he bravely thwarted a mid-air attack on a FlyDubai flight. Machchhar, a native of Mumbai, was seriously injured during the incident but managed to open the cockpit door and allow passengers to enter. The attacker, believed to be an Omani national, was subsequently subdued by Machchhar and the passengers while the Boeing 737 descended sharply.
The plane, carrying 174 passengers from Dubai to Tel Aviv, made an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised the captain's heroism, stating that his actions prevented a catastrophe similar to the 9/11 attacks. The Indian Embassy in Riyadh confirmed that Machchhar was recovering in stable condition.
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