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Indian captain Smit Machchhar
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Oct 03, 2026
Highlights
- UAE prosecutors describe the incident as an attempted terrorist attack.
- More than 170 people were on board, most of them Israeli.
- The plane dropped about 16,625 feet in just over 30 seconds before passengers and crew overpowered the co-pilot.
- A reserve pilot landed the aircraft in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
AN INDIAN pilot is being hailed as a hero after he was attacked with an axe by his co-pilot on a flydubai flight carrying more than 170 people to Israel. UAE prosecutors have described the incident as an attempted terrorist attack.
Captain Smit Machchhar was at the controls of flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv on Wednesday (30) when the violent confrontation broke out in the cockpit, according to Israeli officials and passenger accounts.
The UAE's prosecutor general, Hamad Saif Al Shamsi, said on Saturday (3) that the co-pilot attacked the captain with a crash axe and tried to take control of the aircraft. A crash axe is normally kept in the cockpit for emergencies.
Flight-tracking data from Flightradar24 shows the plane dropped about 16,625 feet in just over 30 seconds while flying over Saudi Arabia. Israeli officials have said the attack appeared to be an attempt to crash the plane.
Passengers and crew overpowered the co-pilot. A reserve flydubai pilot travelling on board then took control and landed the aircraft at Tabuk airport in north-western Saudi Arabia, Reuters reported.
'Fighting for my life'
Machchhar was badly hurt. The Indian Embassy in Riyadh said he was taken to hospital in Tabuk in a stable condition on Wednesday, and India's Ministry of External Affairs confirmed he was transferred to Abu Dhabi for further treatment on Thursday (1).
Speaking from his hospital bed in a video call with prime minister Narendra Modi, he said: "I was fighting for my life." He told Modi his injuries were so severe that he wondered whether he would get up again.
Israel's president Isaac Herzog also paid tribute. On behalf of the state, he thanked the Indian captain, saying his determination and actions made it possible to subdue the attacker and saved many lives.
Back home, sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik created a sculpture of Machchhar on a beach in Puri, Odisha.
Who is Smit Machchhar?
Machchhar was born in Mumbai and has spent around 17 years in commercial aviation, logging nearly 10,000 flight hours. Before joining flydubai in June 2022, he spent more than 11 years at another airline, rising to first officer and then pilot instructor, training and assessing other pilots.
flydubai chief executive Ghaith al Ghaith said on Friday (2) that the flight had diverted after a "safety incident" in the cockpit. The Dubai government-owned airline said on Saturday that the circumstances were still under investigation and it could not comment further.
Two sources told Reuters the co-pilot was Hammam al-Hammami, an Omani national. UAE authorities and the airline have not publicly named him, and Oman has not commented.
It remains unclear how he came to be assigned to the flight. Israel has no diplomatic relations with Oman, and Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said pilots from such countries are not allowed to operate flights to Israel.
Royal Air Maroc said he completed three months of training with the airline in 2025, but his subsequent job application was rejected. It gave no reason.
What happens next
The co-pilot was detained by Saudi authorities and transferred to Abu Dhabi on Thursday. The UAE is leading the investigation, including into his motives, with Israeli investigators taking part.
Netanyahu said Israel was examining whether the co-pilot had acted under anyone's direction. He warned that anyone involved would pay a "heavy price".
Anwar Gargash, a senior adviser to the UAE president, said the country had zero tolerance for terrorism.
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