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Indian pilot Smit Machchhar was hurt during Flydubai service FZ1073, which was flying from Dubai towards Tel Aviv. The reported attack involved another pilot on board. After a sharp loss of altitude, the aircraft was diverted and reached Tabuk in north-western Saudi Arabia safely.
There were more than 150 people on the aircraft, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later used a figure of 174 when praising the Indian pilot. Machchhar received treatment in Saudi Arabia before being transferred to Abu Dhabi. Indian officials said his recovery was going well. The available account draws on official comments, flight information reported by the BBC and Machchhar’s own description; a motive and complete sequence have not been established.
The reported events on FZ1073
The service departed Dubai International Airport at 03:05 GMT, equivalent to 07:05 local time, for Ben Gurion Airport. At least 150 passengers and crew were aboard, and Netanyahu said that nearly all the passengers were Israeli.
Information from Flightradar24, as reported by the BBC, shows the aircraft losing over 17,000 feet, or roughly 5,000 metres, in under two minutes at about 05:21. Its transponder first showed emergency code 7700 and then code 7500, which is used for a hijacking situation.
The aircraft crossed briefly into Jordanian airspace before heading back towards Saudi Arabia. By 05:40 it had turned around over Saudi territory and was descending manually. The emergency 7700 code was later restored, and the plane arrived at Tabuk Airport at 06:58, based on location information.
Reports from the area initially characterised the event as an altercation involving two pilots. Netanyahu subsequently alleged that one pilot had stabbed the other and appeared to have attempted to bring down the aircraft. He said an Israeli passenger told him the aircraft went into a spin and began descending, prompting that passenger and a crew member to get into the cockpit and restrain the alleged attacker.
Those descriptions come from officials and a passenger rather than a published final investigation. They therefore do not settle the reason for the confrontation or every detail of what happened in the flight deck.
How the aircraft was brought to Tabuk
Machchhar said he was wounded and lying on the floor as the aircraft descended. In a video conversation with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said he made a last attempt to open the cockpit door from within.
That is Machchhar’s account of his own role. Netanyahu supplied the account about a passenger and crew member reaching the cockpit. The two statements offer an explanation for how control of the aircraft was regained, but they are not presented as the findings of a completed inquiry.
After the diversion, the aircraft landed in Saudi Arabia instead of continuing to Israel. Medical staff in Tabuk treated Machchhar, who was subsequently flown to Abu Dhabi. The Indian embassy in the United Arab Emirates said he was in good health and making a good recovery.
Machchhar told Modi that he had spent 17 years flying aircraft. He said his experience let him understand what was happening to the plane “even with my eyes closed.” He also said that recovery would require time, while expressing confidence that he would become fit and healthy again.
Indian pilot Smit Machchhar’s career
Machchhar is from Mumbai, where his parents continue to live. He entered Mainland Air, an aviation college in Dunedin, New Zealand, in 2008. In 2011, he began working as a commercial pilot with SpiceJet.
He later relocated to Dubai and joined Flydubai in 2022. His LinkedIn profile records more than 9,750 flying hours, including over 6,400 hours as pilot-in-command.
Philip Kean, Mainland Air’s chief executive, told the BBC that Machchhar had learned procedures for forced landings and recalled him as composed in difficult situations. Kean said the reported assault was unlike the emergencies normally addressed during pilot training and was exceptionally unusual.
SpiceJet referred to Machchhar as a hero in a statement. Capt Dharav Gosalia, a friend and former colleague, described him as outgoing, cheerful and disciplined. Gosalia said Machchhar had undergone years of training, including instruction from former Indian Air Force pilots who moved into commercial flying.
Machchhar’s earlier comments about aviation
In a podcast released the previous year, Machchhar said becoming a pilot had not been his original childhood plan. He had enrolled in a management programme intending to work in the family business, but an aviation seminar redirected his career.
He said putting on his pilot’s uniform helped him concentrate on his professional responsibilities. Over time, he also came to value family time and balance outside work. The podcast included his recollection of medical incidents in the cabin, including a case involving a passenger who went into early labour and a crew effort to deliver the baby safely.
Before the FZ1073 episode, Machchhar said he had never needed to make an emergency landing in an aircraft he was flying. He had nevertheless managed passenger medical problems and smaller technical faults that led to delays. He said the central priority was getting everyone off the aircraft safely.
Official reactions to the Indian pilot attacked
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi credited Machchhar with courage, patience and fast decisions. Foreign Minister S Jaishankar said the pilot showed exceptional bravery and presence of mind while facing serious danger.
Indian ambassador Deepak Mittal said he felt proud of Machchhar’s bravery after visiting him. US President Donald Trump also praised him as a hero and said the injured pilot had opened the cockpit door.
Netanyahu called Machchhar a “true hero” and attributed 174 saved lives to him, adding that a major disaster in the air had been avoided. The number is not the same as the BBC’s report of at least 150 people aboard, so 174 should be treated as Netanyahu’s stated figure rather than a separately verified count.
Support for Machchhar has also appeared widely on Indian social media, including posts sharing extracts from his podcast. Such public reactions demonstrate support for the pilot but do not independently confirm the reported cockpit events.
Questions still open about the Flydubai incident
The reporting establishes that one pilot was said to have stabbed another and that the aircraft suffered a rapid descent before diverting. It does not name the alleged assailant, state why the confrontation occurred or give a final investigators’ account.
The descriptions also changed as information emerged: early reports spoke of a fight, whereas Netanyahu later described a stabbing and a possible effort to crash the aircraft. Those accounts should remain attributed until authorities publish conclusions.
FAQ
Who is Smit Machchhar?
Indian pilot Smit Machchhar is a commercial aviator who worked for SpiceJet before joining Flydubai in 2022. His LinkedIn profile records more than 9,750 hours in the air.
Where did FZ1073 land?
The Flydubai aircraft was redirected to Tabuk Airport in north-western Saudi Arabia, arriving at 06:58 according to location data cited by the BBC.
What happened to Machchhar afterwards?
He was treated at a Tabuk hospital and then transported by air to Abu Dhabi. The Indian embassy in the UAE said he was recovering well.
What remains unknown?
The available source does not establish the alleged attacker’s motive or provide a definitive investigative reconstruction of the cockpit incident. The reported timeline and official remarks are covered in the BBC’s account of the Flydubai flight incident.
