Captain Smit Machchhar and his crew were honoured by the UAE for their extraordinary bravery in an alleged mid-air cockpit attack on Flight FZ1073, saving passengers’ lives during a terrifying aviation emergency.
UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan conferred Captain Smit Machchhar and his crew the prestigious First Class Order of Zayed II after they heroically fought off an attacker who attempted to take control of their plane and saved the lives of all the passengers on board.
The medals were presented personally by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Crown Prince of Dubai and Minister of Defence. Top officials, including the Chairman of Dubai Airports, attended the ceremony. Sheikh Hamdan commended the crew for demonstrating the highest degrees of responsibility and care for human life.
The flight, FZ1073, was a routine flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv. Captain Machchhar, of Indian origin, was at the helm, with Omani co-pilot Hamam Al-Hammami. During the flight, the co-pilot unexpectedly turned on Captain Machchhar and brutally attacked him with the cockpit's 'crash axe'. Captain Machchhar suffered major life-threatening injuries, including a severe skull fracture. During this, the plane lost altitude rapidly and plunged thousands of feet, throwing everyone in the plane into a state of sheer shock.
I told myself, Smit, do something. You can't die like this.
Captain Smit Machchhar
Despite facing severe head trauma and fading strength, Captain Machchhar refused to give up. He used all the strength he had to reach the controls and unlock the reinforced cockpit door. His crew, off-duty pilots and fellow passengers stormed into the cockpit, subdued the attacker and regained control of the plane, which was then diverted to Saudi Arabia, ensuring that not a single passenger was harmed in the crisis.
Captain Machchhar was immediately admitted to a hospital in Israel, where he was later visited by Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan. He later thanked his "very, very, very efficient crew" for saving his life. The incident quickly evolved from an aviation emergency to an international matter. In recognition of Captain Machchhar's bravery, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Indian PM Narendra Modi, inviting both Modi and the "brave Indian pilot" to light a torch at Israel's Independence Day.
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