The co-pilot stabbed him, but he did not give up - and together with the Israeli passengers who broke into the cockpit, he managed to prevent a deadly attempt to crash the plane.
One of the heroes of the day in the drama aboard the flydubai flight is Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar, the captain of the aircraft that the Omani co-pilot attempted to crash. Captain Machchhar was wounded by the stabbing during the physical struggle with the attacker, who was serving as the co-pilot.
In India and Israel, Captain Machchhar was identified as the pilot of the aircraft that was diverted for an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. According to his LinkedIn page, he is a highly experienced pilot with 15 years of experience at commercial airlines. He joined the Emirati airline flydubai in June 2022, after 11 years flying for Indian low-cost carrier SpiceJet.
According to his professional profile, Captain Machchhar has more than 9,750 flight hours on Boeing 737 aircraft, including the 737-800 and 737 MAX 8 and 9, and is estimated to have now accumulated more than 10,000 total flight hours. During his time at SpiceJet, he logged more than 9,500 flight hours, including more than 6,400 hours as pilot in command (Captain). He also served as a training captain, providing instruction and mentoring and conducting pilot checks.
After the cockpit was breached, two additional pilots who were aboard the flight entered the cockpit and took control of the aircraft, whose tail sustained damage during the rapid and severe dive.
One of the Israeli civilians who took part in subduing the attacker recounted: "We neutralized him, the terrorist, using headphones, and a doctor who was on the flight helped the main pilot and stabilized him. It was insane."
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised Machchhar as a "hero."
"My salute to the Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar for his extraordinary bravery," Netanyahu said. "Despite being stabbed and seriously injured, he fought back, resisted, opened the cockpit door, and enabled passengers and crew to overpower the attacker - preventing a catastrophic mid-air disaster. He saved the lives of 174 people, including Israeli citizens and other nationals."
"I wish Captain Machchhar a speedy and full recovery. He is a true hero," he stated.