Pilots' body urges Modi to award captain who halted mid‑air crisis on flydubai flight

The Federation of Indian Pilots has asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to confer a national bravery award on Captain Smit Machchhar for stopping a potential disaster on flydubai flight FZ1073.## What Happened On September 30 the Dubai‑to‑Tel Aviv flight was cruising when the first officer struck the captain with a crash axe, causing serious injuries. Despite the wounds, Machchhar kept control, opened the cockpit door and helped the crew and two fellow flydubai pilots on board take over. The aircraft fell about 14,300 feet in roughly 30 seconds before being diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, where it landed safely at Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Airport. The flight carried 174 passengers and eight crew members, a total of 182 souls.## Reaction The pilots’ body described Machchhar’s actions as extraordinary courage, exceptional leadership and exemplary devotion to duty. Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised his bravery, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called him a true hero. The federation urged the prime minister’s office to consider an appropriate national civilian honour after the facts are verified.## Context A pilot‑in‑command is trained for technical failures and medical emergencies, but an internal assault is a far rarer challenge. Machchhar, a Mumbai native with over 13 years of commercial flying, more than 9,500 total flight hours and over 6,400 hours as captain, had joined flydubai in June 2022. He was first taken to a hospital in Tabuk, then moved to Abu Dhabi for further treatment and remains stable.