flydubai scare: Fresh details have emerged about the dramatic emergency landing of a Flydubai flight in Saudi Arabia. The captain has been identified as Indian national Captain Smit Machchhar, who reportedly got into a violent confrontation with his co-pilot in the cockpit.
According to Ynet, citing Israeli officials, the co-pilot was an Omani national who was suspected of attempting to crash the aircraft. The captain reportedly confronted him and fought to prevent the aircraft from crashing, while Israeli passengers later helped restrain the co-pilot.
Flydubai flight FZ1073 was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv which transmitted emergency signals before making a sharp descent and diverting to Tabuk in Saudi Arabia. Flightradar24 showed the aircraft suddenly descended nearly 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds before the first emergency signal was transmitted.
The aircraft initially broadcast squawk code 7700, indicating an emergency, before switching to 7500, which signals a hijacking or unlawful interference, according to flight-tracking data cited by The Times of Israel. The 7500 signal prompted Israeli Air Force fighter jets to scramble towards the aircraft.
Who Is Captain Smit Machchhar?
Captain Smit Machchhar, an Indian national, had been working with Flydubai, the UAE government-owned low-cost airline, for the past four years. He previously worked with SpiceJet for 10 years.
Machchhar has more than 13 years of commercial flying experience on the Boeing 737 fleet. He has also served as a Line Training Captain and has logged more than 9,750 hours of flight time.
He joined SpiceJet in 2011 and held various positions at the budget airline, including Line Training Captain and Senior Commander. In June 2022, he left SpiceJet and joined Flydubai as a direct-entry captain.
During the incident, Machchhar reportedly attempted to confront the other pilot but was stabbed during the scuffle and fell to the floor bleeding.
Israeli officials said a crew member and a passenger then entered the cockpit and subdued the suspect. Authorities are also investigating the incident from a possible terrorism angle.
What Happened?
The aircraft was carrying around 180 passengers, turned around while flying over Saudi Arabia and was later tracked near Tabuk airport, where it landed safely. Passengers were evacuated after authorities took control of the situation.
According to Tabuk airport authorities cited by Ynet, both pilots were injured and hospitalised. Flydubai confirmed that the aircraft had experienced an in-flight incident and landed safely in Tabuk. The airline said it was cooperating with the relevant authorities and that all passengers were safe. It has not released the identities or nationalities of the pilots.
According to Times of Israel citing Channel 12 reported that a second team of pilots, dressed in civilian clothes, carried out the landing. The report said two passengers helped prevent one of the pilots from taking control of the aircraft. An Israeli official told Channel 12, “The most severe disaster was prevented.”
Israel's Transportation Ministry said a joint investigation with the defence establishment would examine the incident. The episode has also prompted national security consultations in Israel, particularly given that the aircraft landed in Saudi Arabia, which does not have official diplomatic relations with Israel.
The incident remains under investigation, and the circumstances surrounding the cockpit confrontation have not been independently established.