Captain hailed a hero after cockpit stabbing on FlyDubai flight

Following up on this morning’s post, the incident on the Flydubai aircraft appears to be much more disturbing than first believed. Reports indicate that the Co-Pilot stabbed the captian in an attempt to bring down the plane.

The Indian airline captain who was at the controls of a FlyDubai flight when a copilot stabbed him several times in an apparent attempt to crash the plane, has been hailed a hero, and his actions to thwart disaster have drawn praise from world leaders.

Smit Machchhar, from Mumbai, was seriously injured as passengers rushed into the cockpit and restrained the attacker, when the drama unfolded on Wednesday while the Boeing 737 descended sharply, according to witnesses and Israeli authorities. The attack forced the flight carrying 174 people from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, to Tel Aviv, Israel, to make an emergency landing in Tabuk in Saudi Arabia. Mr. Machchhar was rushed to hospital and was in a stable condition, the Indian embassy in Riyadh, the Saudi capital, said on Wednesday.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday called Mr. Machchhar a hero.

Mr Modi wrote on X: “In the face of the gravest danger and despite being seriously injured, he showed immense courage and an unwavering resolve to protect the lives of others. His valor helped save hundreds of lives and avert a great tragedy.”

According to Mr Machchhar’s LinkedIn profile, he has worked for FlyDubai for about four years. Before joining the airline he spent 11 years with SpiceJet, an Indian low-cost carrier, where he was a senior commander and line training captain.

Captain Smit Machchhar is a HERO.

In the face of the gravest danger and despite being seriously injured, he showed immense courage and an unwavering resolve to protect the lives of others. His valour helped save hundreds of lives and avert a great tragedy.