Smit Machchhar never imagined that flight between Dubai and Tel Aviv would become one of the most difficult moments of his career. On September 30, 2026, the Indian captain was in command of Flydubai flight FZ1073, a Boeing 737 MAX 8 with 174 passengers on board.
Machchhar had more than 13 years of experience and around 9.750 flight hours. Before joining Flydubai in 2022, he worked for approximately 11 years at SpiceJet, where he became a captain and instructor.
During the flight, the copilot attacked him in the cockpit and wounded him with an edged weapon. Amid the emergency, the aircraft lost around 14.000 feet in less than a minute.
Gravely wounded, Machchhar managed to reach the cockpit door mechanism and open it. That moment allowed passengers, crew members, and other pilots traveling on board to come in and help control the situation.
The aircraft was diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, where it made an emergency landing. All 174 people on board survived and were later able to continue their journey to Israel.
Machchhar’s story also has something special about it: becoming a pilot had not always been part of his plans. After studying textile engineering and considering joining the family business, a seminar on aviation sparked his interest when he was about 19 years old. From then on, he decided to change the course of his life and take up flying.
Today, his name is remembered for those seconds when, despite being wounded, he managed to open a door that allowed others to take action.
Because that day, there was not just one act of courage. There was a pilot who held on, passengers who ran toward danger, and a crew that worked to regain control.
Smit Machchhar fell wounded, but first he managed to open a door. And behind it were 174 people who had a chance to make it home.