Captain Machchhar, a Dentist, Plumber & the Crew Who Helped Save over 170 Lives on Flydubai Flight
The crew diverted the Boeing 737 to Tabuk Airport, and officials said all 174 passengers and crew were safe after the emergency landing.
- On Wednesday, Captain Smit Machchhar intervened when his co-pilot allegedly attempted to crash a flydubai aircraft traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv, forcing an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
- The Boeing 737 carried 174 passengers when the Omani co-pilot allegedly attempted to down the aircraft; Machchhar fought off the co-pilot despite sustaining grave injuries during the struggle.
- During the struggle, the aircraft plunged 14,000 feet in 29 secs before Machchhar and Israeli and Emirati passengers secured the flight to Tabuk Airport, saving 180 lives.
- Machchhar remains in stable condition at a Tabuk hospital with Indian Embassy support, while Prime Minister Modi praised his "unwavering resolve to protect the lives of others" in an official statement.
- Israeli Ambassador Reuven Azar offered prayers for the pilot's recovery, while MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal confirmed on Thursday that the nation stands with the captain and his family.
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Pilot, Plumber, Banker, Businessman, Dentist: 5 Heroes Of flydubai Flight
Despite his grave injuries, Machchhar managed to open the cockpit door and alerted the crew about his co-pilot's horrific mid-air attempt to crash the plane carrying 174 passengers, including 27 children and six crew members.
Moments earlier, Mahchar's co-pilot stabbed the captain with a knife, in an apparent attempt to bring down a plane flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv. The Guardian reports that Machar, an Indian national from Mumbai, is now undergoing treatment at a hospital in the northwestern Saudi Arabian city of Tabuk, where the plane made a forced landing yesterday. Mahchar is just one of the few people on this plane who were declared heroes after the end of the…
The United Arab Emirates' flydubai company called for "any premature speculation" about the incident to be avoided.
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