flydubai hero captain identified as Indian pilot Smit Machchhar after mid-air cockpit clash

Machchhar was reportedly injured in the confrontation and left with blood on his face and hands.

Videos from after the incident showed passengers praising the injured pilot, with one telling him, "You saved the plane, you did well."

The confrontation sparked fears of a possible hijacking or 9/11 style terror attack before the aircraft was diverted and landed safely in Saudi Arabia.

More than 9,750 flying hours

Machchhar has been with flydubai for around four years and previously spent about a decade with Indian airline SpiceJet.

According to his LinkedIn profile, he has more than 13 years of commercial flying experience, primarily on Boeing 737 aircraft, and has logged over 9,750 flying hours.

He joined SpiceJet in 2011 and held several positions, including senior commander and line training captain. In June 2022, he left the airline and joined flydubai as a direct-entry captain.

What happened on Flight FZ 1073?

Flight FZ 1073 was travelling from Dubai International Airport to Ben Gurion International Airport when an altercation reportedly broke out inside the cockpit.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the incident involved one pilot attempting to crash the aircraft and that Machchhar fought to stop him.

According to Netanyahu, a crew member and a passenger subsequently entered the cockpit and subdued the suspect.

Flight-tracking data indicated that the aircraft lost more than 17,400 feet in about two minutes during the struggle.

The plane was subsequently diverted to Saudi Arabia, where it landed safely. The passengers were reported safe, while the alleged attacker was detained by Saudi authorities.

Hijacking fears triggered during flight

The incident initially prompted concerns about a possible hijacking after the aircraft reportedly transmitted the emergency squawk code 7700.

The code was later changed to 7500, the internationally recognised transponder code associated with unlawful interference.

However, flydubai has cautioned against drawing conclusions about what happened or why.

The airline said the circumstances and motives remain unknown and are subject to a formal investigation, urging people to avoid premature speculation.

The investigation is expected to establish what happened inside the cockpit and determine the circumstances surrounding the reported attack.