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Bleeding on the cockpit floor as his aircraft plunged, Captain Smit Machchhar managed to unlock the door—giving passengers and crew the chance to stop what Israeli officials describe as an attempt to crash a flydubai jet carrying 174 people.
The Indian captain is recovering after surgery following Wednesday’s attack aboard flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv. His actions, together with the intervention of passengers, crew, and two fellow pilots aboard the aircraft, helped bring the flight safely to the ground in Saudi Arabia.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised his courage despite his serious injuries. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also called him a hero.
From the family business to flying
Machchhar had not grown up dreaming of becoming a pilot. Raised in Mumbai in a family involved in textiles, he initially studied with the intention of joining the family business.
An aviation seminar he attended around the age of 19 changed his plans. He went on to train in New Zealand before returning to India, joining SpiceJet in 2011 and eventually becoming a line training captain responsible for guiding other pilots.
He moved to flydubai in June 2022. According to a Kathimerini profile, he has roughly 15 years of experience in civil aviation and almost 9,750 flying hours, mostly on Boeing 737 aircraft.
In an earlier interview, he described his priority in simple terms: delays were acceptable if they meant passengers could leave the aircraft safely. On Wednesday, that responsibility became a fight for survival.
How the emergency unfolded
The Boeing 737 was flying over Saudi Arabia when, according to Israeli officials, the co-pilot stabbed Machchhar and tried to bring down the aircraft.
The plane reportedly lost nearly 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds. Passengers described sudden drops, screams and confusion before realizing something was happening inside the cockpit.
Footage taken by a passenger aboard the flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv after the plane took a rapid plunge. pic.twitter.com/O3vd5644pL
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) September 30, 2026
Despite his injuries, Machchhar managed to release the cockpit door lock. Passengers and crew rushed inside and restrained the alleged attacker.
Passenger Yaniv Hayoun later described pulling the attacker away from the controls. Photographs taken after his return to Israel showed his shirt stained with blood.
Two other flydubai pilots traveling aboard the aircraft then took over the controls and landed safely in Tabuk, in northwestern Saudi Arabia.
First images from @flydubai flight: one of the passengers with blood on his shirt https://t.co/zfJ4UsDeaO pic.twitter.com/XDLzuz0DbE
— Amichai Stein (@AmichaiStein1) September 30, 2026
Hijacking signal put Israel on alert
During the emergency, the aircraft briefly transmitted code 7500, used to signal a possible hijacking. The alert prompted Israel to scramble fighter jets and hold high-level security consultations.
Netanyahu said one pilot had stabbed the other and attempted to crash the plane. Defense Minister Israel Katz described the incident as an attempted terrorist attack.
However, the motive remains unconfirmed. Flydubai said the reasons behind the incident were the subject of an official investigation and urged against premature speculation. Netanyahu subsequently said it was too early to establish whether anyone else was involved.
Machchhar underwent surgery in Tabuk and was reported to be in stable condition. The passengers continued to Tel Aviv on a replacement aircraft, arriving Wednesday evening.
Flydubai has suspended flights to and from Israel while the investigation takes place, a development relevant to travelers planning connections through Dubai or Tel Aviv.
The investigation will determine what led to the attack. The accounts emerging so far show how a wounded captain, passengers and crew worked together to prevent a disaster.
*With information and photos from Reuters and AP News
