Captain Smit Machchhar is recovering after a cockpit attack that passengers say he helped stop despite suffering serious injuries.
The Indian pilot was flying Flydubai Flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv on September 30 when his copilot allegedly attacked him. Passengers and Israeli officials say Machchhar opened the cockpit door during the struggle, allowing others to enter and restrain the attacker.
The aircraft diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, where it landed safely. India’s embassy in Riyadh said Machchhar was receiving hospital treatment and that initial reports indicated he was in stable condition.
Opening the cockpit allowed others to help
Passenger accounts describe a frightening sequence in which the aircraft descended sharply while violence unfolded on the flight deck.
Despite his injuries, Machchhar managed to open the cockpit door, according to accounts reported by CNN and the Associated Press. Passengers then helped overpower the alleged attacker, while other pilots aboard the aircraft took control.
Some early reports described the pilots who intervened as off duty. Flydubai subsequently said its on-duty crew members traveling on the flight secured the aircraft, diverted it and landed safely, according to Associated Press reporting.
The rescue involved several people, including passengers who restrained the attacker and a dentist who helped treat the wounded captain.
Passenger describes treating the injured captain
Shota Musaev, a dentist aboard the flight, told CNN that Machchhar had suffered severe blood loss. He described trying to keep the pilot conscious as his condition deteriorated.
Musaev said he feared that even a short delay in providing help could have been fatal. His account describes the urgency of the response, although a detailed medical report on the captain’s injuries has not been made public in the sources reviewed.
The Indian embassy’s update, reported by NDTV, said officials were following Machchhar’s condition and coordinating with Saudi authorities. The embassy also said it was in contact with his family and would provide assistance.
A career that began outside aviation
Machchhar, reported to be a 39-year-old father of two, did not initially plan to become a pilot.
In a 2025 appearance on the Bona-Fide Banter podcast, he described growing up in a family involved in the textile business and completing a textile engineering course before deciding to pursue flying.
That decision took him to New Zealand for flight training. His former instructor, Philip Kean of Mainland Air in Dunedin, told CNN he remembered Machchhar as cheerful and hardworking.
Kean said he was proud of how his former student responded to the emergency. His recollections offered a personal portrait of a pilot now receiving international attention for his actions under extreme pressure.
Years of experience before joining Flydubai
Before moving to Flydubai, Machchhar spent about 11 years with Indian airline SpiceJet, according to the career history described in the supplied CNN report. He rose to the position of senior commander.
In his podcast interview, Machchhar also recalled an earlier emergency involving a passenger who went into labor during a flight.
He said he and the first officer assessed nearby airports as the situation developed. Both the mother and baby were fine, he recalled.
The episode illustrated the range of unexpected situations pilots can encounter, though it was very different from the violence reported aboard Flight FZ1073.
Praise for the captain as investigation continues
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised Machchhar’s courage and credited his actions with helping prevent a disaster. Former colleagues, acquaintances and passengers have also spoken about his role in the rescue.
Those accounts mark a significant development from the earliest reports, which described an alleged fight between pilots without a clear explanation of what happened.
The attacker’s motive remains unresolved in the reporting reviewed. Claims about an intended hijacking or deliberate crash should remain attributed to the officials or witnesses making them while investigators establish the sequence of events.
For Machchhar’s family, the immediate focus is his recovery in Saudi Arabia. For those who knew him before the incident, the accounts of his response have brought pride alongside concern for his health.