First Visuals Of Heavily Bandaged Capt. Smit Machchhar Emerge After Flydubai Flight FZ1073 Cockpit Attack

The first visuals of Flydubai Captain Smit Machchhar after the mid-air cockpit attack have emerged, showing the Indian pilot with his chest and abdomen heavily bandaged.

Machchhar can be seen outside the aircraft with extensive bandages covering his injuries, appearing extremely weak after losing a significant amount of blood while fighting off his co-pilot during the incident.

Doctors treating the pilot reportedly said they initially did not think he would survive, given the amount of blood he had lost.

Who is Smit Machchhar?

According to his LinkedIn profile, Machchhar is an airline captain with more than 13 years of commercial flying experience, primarily flying Boeing 737 aircraft. He is currently a Direct Entry Captain at flydubai, where he has been flying since June 2022.

His profile lists nearly 9,750 hours of flying experience, including time on the Boeing 737-800 and Boeing 737 MAX. Before joining flydubai, Machchhar spent more than 11 years with SpiceJet in India.

He joined SpiceJet in June 2011 and went on to serve as a Senior Commander and Line Training Captain. During his time with the airline, he accumulated more than 9,500 flying hours, including over 6,400 hours as pilot-in-command, according to his profile.

From November 2020 to June 2022, Machchhar worked as a Line Training Captain at SpiceJet, where his responsibilities included training, checking and mentoring pilots, while ensuring adherence to standard operating procedures and safety requirements.

His profile also lists expertise in Crew Resource Management, flight standards, pilot mentoring and operating Boeing 737 NG and MAX aircraft.

What happened on Flydubai flight FZ1073?

The incident reportedly took place while the aircraft was flying towards Tel Aviv. Passengers reportedly heard shouting and screams coming from the cockpit, with one passenger later seeing blood inside the cockpit.

According to an account cited by AFP, passengers were told that one pilot had allegedly attacked the other with a knife. Passengers then reportedly moved towards the cockpit and helped restrain the attacker. Other pilots travelling on the aircraft also assisted in handling the emergency.

Flight-tracking data indicated that the aircraft briefly lost altitude and transmitted emergency codes, including 7700 and 7500. The latter is internationally associated with unlawful interference or a possible hijacking situation.

Israeli authorities reportedly responded by scrambling fighter jets as the aircraft diverted towards Saudi Arabia.

After the aircraft landed at Tabuk, both pilots were taken to hospital. Machchhar had sustained serious injuries in the confrontation.

Authorities are investigating the circumstances surrounding the cockpit confrontation, including whether it constituted an attempted attack or another form of unlawful interference.

Israeli social media users hail Machchhar's courage

The Indian pilot has also received an outpouring of praise on Israeli social media following the incident.

Users shared tributes to Machchhar, with posts describing him as a hero and urging others to remember his name. Videos were also shared thanking the pilot for his actions after he was seriously injured during the cockpit confrontation.

Israeli influencer Talia Yoseph shared a video paying tribute to Machchhar and urged her followers to remember the Indian captain.

“I want every single one of you to know the name Smit Machchhar,” she said, describing him as a hero who kept fighting despite being severely wounded.