NEW DELHI: For Indian pilot Smit Machchhar, hailed as a hero for averting a crash of a flydubai jet bound for Israel, aviation was never part of his childhood dreams.
Machchhar had his sights set on the family’s textile business until the aviation bug bit at the age of 19, which scared his mother.
Now, even after thousands of hours of flying, Machchhar’s love of aviation is something he keeps in the cockpit, reluctant to discuss with those on the ground.
„Captain Smit Machchhar is a HERO,“ Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on X. „In the face of the gravest danger and despite being seriously injured, he showed immense courage and an unwavering resolve to protect the lives of others.“
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called him a „true hero“.
Machchhar is recovering in a hospital in Saudi Arabia’s Tabuk, where his flight was diverted on Wednesday (Sep 30) after the co-pilot reportedly stabbed him mid-air in an attempt to crash the plane carrying 174 people, according to Israeli officials.
The Mumbai native was covered in blood on the cockpit floor when he managed to activate the release to open the cockpit door, according to Israeli officials. This allowed passengers and crew to overpower the co-pilot, while two flydubai pilots travelling as passengers helped land the aircraft.
The veteran Boeing 737 captain, who has logged nearly 9,750 flying hours over a career spanning about 15 years, arrived in aviation relatively late.