New Delhi: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reached out on Saturday to Indian pilot Smit Machchhar, commending him as a global hero after Machchhar prevented his co-pilot from allegedly attempting to crash a passenger jet travelling to Israel. Machchhar is currently receiving medical care in the United Arab Emirates after surviving a violent assault inside the cockpit of flydubai Flight FZ1073.
During an emotional telephone discussion, Netanyahu lauded Machchhar’s remarkable composure under extreme distress and officially extended an invitation to both the pilot and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to participate in lighting a ceremonial torch during Israel’s upcoming Independence Day celebrations. While the distinction is typically reserved strictly for Israeli nationals, Netanyahu emphasized that the nation and the wider international community recognize Machchhar’s bravery in saving dozens of lives.
The harrowing mid-air ordeal took place on Wednesday when the aircraft, carrying 174 passengers, plunged more than 17,000 feet from a cruising altitude of 34,000 feet. Flight telemetry indicated a rapid emergency descent as distress calls were broadcast from the cockpit. The violent dive placed severe physical stress on the airframe, ripping away a section of the plane’s rudder before the flight ultimately touched down safely in Saudi Arabia.
Recounting the sequence of events directly to Netanyahu, the 38-year-old captain explained that the confrontation began shortly after his co-pilot stepped aside within the flight deck to pray. Machchhar stated that while giving his colleague privacy, he suddenly sustained repeated, severe strikes to the back of his head from an emergency crash axe. Though initially suspecting a catastrophic structural failure, Machchhar quickly recognized the attack, managed to withstand the physical assault, and regained command of the aircraft.
The co-pilot responsible for the cockpit attack has since been identified as Omani national Hamam al-Hammami. Machchhar, who sustained serious injuries during the struggle, was initially treated at a hospital facility in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, before being transferred to Abu Dhabi to continue his medical recovery.
