India's local media celebrated the heroic actions of Indian national Smit Machchhar, the veteran Indian pilot who survived a violent assault by his first officer while flying the Dubai-Tel Aviv flight on Wednesday.
Thanks to quick thinking and secured flight deck protocols, a massive tragedy was averted when the Flydubai flight was over Jordan, as the Omani co-pilot's plan was to kill Machchhar and crash the plane, possibly in Israel, as part of a terrorist plot.
Machchhar heroically fought back and alerted the crew and passengers, who ultimately intervened and managed to take over the plane and land it safely thanks to off-duty pilots on board. But this wasn't easy: the Boeing 737 MAX 8 initially began to descend rapidly, dropping some 17,000 feet in fewer than 2 minutes before the cockpit was secure again and the Omani co-pilot was subdued.
Machchhar, serving as the primary pilot, sustained knife injuries and could not fly after being saved by the passengers who had breached the cockpit.
He has a short history in the company, having joined in 2022 after working for Indian domestic carrier SpiceJet for 11 years, during which he performed duties as a line training captain. Guiding junior flight crew members and overseeing operational instruction remain among his primary professional qualifications.
Now, serving as a direct entry captain for the Emirati budget carrier, the seasoned aviator boasts numerous hours of professional background maneuvering Boeing 737 Max 8/9 and 737-800 models.
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Throughout his extensive 13-year career spanning 9,750 total hours aloft, he accumulated upwards of 6,400 hours acting as the primary pilot in command. Even when a subordinate physically steers the plane, the lead officer retains ultimate authority over critical choices and crisis management protocols.
Amidst the violent struggle unfolding within the closed cabin, flight tracking data suggested the commercial jet plummeted roughly 14,000 feet over a span shorter than half a minute. This massive altitude drop occurred prior to the initial distress broadcast being transmitted.
