PM Modi Praises Pilot Smit Machchhar For Averting ‘9/11-Type Tragedy’ On Flydubai Flight

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday praised Indian pilot Smit Machchhar for his “remarkable patience, presence of mind, and courage” after he allegedly foiled an attempt by his co-pilot to crash a flydubai flight travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv.

Modi said Machchhar’s actions helped avert what Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described as a potential “9/11-type tragedy”.

PM Modi Speaks To Pilot’s Family

Speaking at an event marking the centenary of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), Modi said he had spoken to Machchhar’s father, Bhupendra, mother Geeta and wife Sonal.

“Today, I also spoke to his father, Bhupendra Bhai, his mother, Geeta Behen, and his wife, Sonal Behen. He is currently undergoing treatment. The entire world is proud of him today,” Modi said.

The Prime Minister urged people to pray for Machchhar’s recovery and long life.

“The bravery of flydubai’s Captain Smit Machchhar fills our hearts with pride,” Modi said.

Co-Pilot Allegedly Attacked Captain Mid-Flight

The incident occurred on Wednesday when the co-pilot, reportedly an Omani national, allegedly stabbed Machchhar inside the cockpit of the Boeing 737 MAX 8.

The attack triggered a struggle between the two pilots and sent the aircraft into a steep descent over northern Saudi Arabia. The plane reportedly plunged around 14,300 feet in roughly 30 seconds before the situation was brought under control.

The identity of the co-pilot has not been disclosed.

Netanyahu Praises Indian Pilot

Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised Machchhar for what he called his “extraordinary bravery”.

“An amazing act of heroism — of his, of the Indian pilot, of the people who helped them. They stopped a disaster that could have been global,” Netanyahu said.

He also praised an Israeli passenger who reportedly helped overpower the attacker.

The Indian embassy said Machchhar was receiving treatment at a hospital in Saudi Arabia.

Machchhar Undergoing Treatment

According to people familiar with the matter, Machchhar is from Ghatkopar East in Mumbai and is based in Dubai for work. He underwent surgery and was reported to be in stable condition.

Machchhar joined flydubai’s Boeing 737 fleet as a direct-entry captain in June 2022 after spending 11 years with SpiceJet in Mumbai.

During his tenure at SpiceJet, he rose to senior commander and, from November 2020, was involved in training and checking other pilots, according to his LinkedIn profile.

His profile lists around 9,750 flying hours and a business administration degree from the Welingkar Institute of Management. His brother is also a pilot with Akasa Air, according to people familiar with the matter.

Flight Data Shows Dramatic Descent

Flight data from Flightradar24 and ADS-B Exchange, analysed by Hindustan Times, showed that the aircraft departed Dubai at 7:05 am local time and initially cruised westward over Saudi Arabia at around 34,000 feet.

At 8:21 am Saudi time, or 10:51 am IST, slightly more than two hours into the flight and around 235 km northeast of Tabuk, the aircraft began descending rapidly.

Between two readings recorded 37 seconds apart, the aircraft’s altitude dropped from 33,225 feet to 18,925 feet — a descent rate of approximately 23,000 feet per minute. At a typical descent rate of around 2,000 feet per minute, an airliner would take roughly seven minutes to lose the same amount of altitude.

Aircraft Reportedly Suffered Tail Damage

Photographs of the aircraft after it reached Tabuk appear to show damage to the rudder on its tail.

Such damage can occur when aircraft control surfaces are subjected to extreme forces at high speed, potentially consistent with the violent dive indicated by the flight data. However, the authenticity of the photographs could not be independently verified.

The aircraft reportedly reached a minimum altitude of around 16,600 feet while its ground speed peaked at 598 knots, or approximately 1,107 kmph.

It then climbed more than 5,000 feet before descending again to around 13,675 feet by 8:27 am and eventually stabilising at approximately 15,000 feet.

Emergency And Hijack Codes Activated

Receivers subsequently lost the aircraft’s position for around nine minutes.

When the flight track resumed at 8:31 am, the aircraft’s transponder was transmitting 7700, the standard general emergency code.

At 8:35 am, it switched to 7500, the internationally recognised hijack code. It was not immediately clear who activated the codes.

The aircraft subsequently flew northwest into Jordan before turning back and returning over Saudi Arabian territory by around 8:45 am.