Hero Indian Captain on flydubai prevented a Second 9/11 terror attack, saved 174

The captain who fought the co-pilot of the flydubai FZ1073 and prevented an apparent terror attack is an Indian pilot who has now been identified as Smit Machchhar, an aviator who previously flew with the Indian airliner SpiceJet. The flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv was landed by off-duty pilots travelling among the passengers. The Indian captain was stabbed, fought back and managed to open the door for passengers to intervene, thus preventing the plane from crashing and 174 people, mostly Israelis, being killed.

This was the first report to highlight on Wednesday that the hero Captain was in all likelihood an Indian. As reports started pouring in, especially from Israel, India Today Digital dived deep into those and also cited an Israeli diplomatic correspondent to break the news of the hero flydubai pilot being an Indian national or of Indian origin.

This article was published at 16.47 IST on Wednesday, and it was only several hours later that the hero pilot was identified as Smit Machchhar, an Indian who had earlier worked with SpiceJet. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that the pilot was Indian, hailing Machchhar, in a post on X at 00.11 IST on Thursday.

Speaking to India Today TV's Pooja Shali on Wednesday at least seven hours before, Guy Azriel, diplomatic correspondent at i24NEWS, said, "According to what we know from Israeli officials and initial investigation, the co-pilot was an Omani national, who was the terrorist who attempted to stab the main pilot. I understand is an Indian."

Similarly, prior to the confirmation from Netanyahu, several Israeli news outlets, including Haaretz, Channel 12 and Ynet News, had identified the pilot as being either an "Indian-origin" or an "Indian national" individual.

India Today Digital was the first to highlight those reports, as well as the statement from Israeli correspondent Guy Aziel in the initial copy that had reported that the heroic pilot was, in all likelihood, an Indian.

The Omani co-pilot who allegedly attempted to crash the plane is now the subject of an investigation into how he was granted permission to fly to Israel. According to the report, all foreign crew members, particularly those from Arab or Gulf states, undergo strict and individual security assessments and screening before being allowed to enter Israeli airspace or land in Israel.

The Indian captain's heroics prevented what Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahy would later describe as "another 9/11", reported the Israeli outlet, i24 News.

WHO IS SMIT MACHCHHAR, HERO PILOT WHO PREVENTED A SECOND 9/11

Hours after this report went up, the pilot was identified as Captain Smit Machchhar, an aviator hailing from the state of Gujarat with over a decade's worth of flying experience, and who previously worked at SpiceJet.

According to his LinkedIn Profile, he is an Airline Captain with over 13 years of commercial flying experience on the Boeing 737 fleet, including extensive time as a Line Training Captain. Previously, he was a pilot with the Indian airliner, Spice Jet, having worked there between 2011 and 2022.

He joined flydubai as Direct Entry Captain in June 2022, and has also worked to mentor trainee aviators at the Flyby Aviation Academy in Mumbai.

Machchhar's heroics earned him praise from US President Donald Trump, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, PM Narendra Modi, and Foreign Minister Subramanyam Jaishankar. He is currently being treated for his injuries at a hospital in Tabuk. The Indian Embassy in Riyadh and the Consulate in Jeddah are closely monitoring his health, and he is reportedly in a stable condition.

An Israeli official who spoke to N12 — the digital venture of Channel 12 — described the severity of the incident and made it clear that a major attack was averted. "One pilot stabbed the other and tried to do 9/11 – either hijack the plane to the ground or crash it," the official was quoted as saying by N12.

Yasmin Abukasis, mother of passenger Miryam Shira Ohayon, told AFP her daughter called her from Saudi Arabia: "She said one pilot tried to kill the other pilot with a knife. They heard shouting".

Another passenger went to the cockpit "and saw a lot of blood. She started screaming 'come help' and some people went in and caught the guy", she added.

Investigators are also examining whether the Omani co-pilot held dual citizenship, which may have enabled him to board the flight to Israel. Israeli sources, quoted by Channel 12, reported that he had been working for the airline for less than a year.

Ynet news reported that both the pilots are currently lodged in a hospital at Tabuk in Saudi Arabia.

An Israeli passenger told The Jerusalem Post that one pilot stabbed another and tried to force him out of the cockpit as the aircraft began plunging.

According to the passenger, several Israelis seated near the front rushed to the cockpit and fought the attacker as the plane descended. Two other pilots seated at the back initially appeared to be in shock, prompting the passenger to shout at them to take control of the aircraft.

The passenger said the group eventually managed to remove the attacker from the cockpit and bring the two pilots inside. One of them then took control of the aircraft, while the other took longer to recover from the shock.

The stabbed pilot was in critical condition, the passenger told The Jerusalem Post. An Israeli dentist travelling on the flight treated the injured pilot and, according to the passenger, helped save his life.