On September 30, 2026, Captain Smit Machchhar was flying flydubai Flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv when something went terribly wrong inside the cockpit.
The aircraft, carrying 174 people, was cruising over Saudi Arabia when the co-pilot attacked Machchhar. According to UAE authorities, the co-pilot used a crash axe in what they have officially described as an attempted terrorist act. The investigation into the motive and circumstances is still underway.
Machchhar was seriously injured. During the struggle, the Boeing 737 went into a dramatic descent, dropping more than 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds, according to Reuters.
Then came the moment that changed everything.
Lying injured in the cockpit, Machchhar realised that the cockpit door was within reach. Despite his condition, he managed to open it.
Passengers and crew rushed in and restrained the attacker. Two off-duty pilots who happened to be travelling as passengers also entered the cockpit and helped regain control of the aircraft. The plane was diverted and eventually landed safely at Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
Machchhar later told Prime Minister Narendra Modi that he had essentially told himself: the door is right there—do it. That split-second decision allowed others to intervene.
But there is another part of his story that makes the incident even more remarkable.
The Mumbai-born pilot had never planned on becoming one.
Growing up in Ghatkopar, Machchhar initially studied textile engineering expecting to join his family’s textile business. During management studies at Mumbai’s Welingkar Institute, an aviation seminar introduced him to flying. At 19, he discovered a completely different path.
His mother was initially apprehensive about his decision, but Machchhar trained in New Zealand and eventually began his aviation career with SpiceJet. Over about 11 years there, he rose to become a senior commander and line-training captain. He joined flydubai in 2022 as a Boeing 737 captain and has accumulated roughly 9,750 hours of flying experience.
An old interview has since resurfaced, revealing something about the way he viewed his profession. Speaking about situations such as technical problems and flight delays, Machchhar said that delay was never his concern if it meant passengers would ultimately walk out of the aircraft safely.
That philosophy was tested in the most unimaginable circumstances.
This was not a story of one man single-handedly landing a plane. Machchhar’s decision to open the cockpit door created the opportunity for passengers, crew and the two off-duty pilots to act. Together, they prevented what could have become a catastrophe.
Machchhar was seriously injured and underwent treatment in Saudi Arabia before being moved to Abu Dhabi. His condition has since been reported as stable and improving.
Sometimes courage is not about having no fear.
Sometimes it is simply recognising what needs to be done—and doing it, even when you are hurt.
Captain Smit Machchhar reached for that door. And 174 people got another chance to walk out safely.
