The US House of Representatives has introduced a resolution honouring Indian flydubai pilot Captain Smit Machchhar for his bravery in protecting passengers and thwarting an attempted terrorist attack aboard Flydubai Flight 1073 on September 30. Machchhar was allegedly stabbed by his Omani co-pilot Hamam al-Hammami in the cockpit of flydubai Flight FZ1073 while the aircraft was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv.
The resolution, titled “Honoring Captain Smit Machchhar and the crew and passengers of Flydubai Flight 1073, and condemning the attempted terrorist attack on that flight”, was introduced by US lawmakers Josh Gottheimer, Don Bacon and Michael McCaul.
Gottheimer, a Democratic Congressman from New Jersey, hailed Machchhar for showing extraordinary courage and protecting everyone aboard the flight. The resolution also commended the actions of off-duty pilots, cabin crew members and passengers who helped secure the flight deck and bring the aircraft safely to the ground.
Condemns act of terrorism
The resolution condemns the attack on Flydubai Flight 1073 as an act of terrorism and an attack on the safety of international civil aviation. “On September 30, 2026, Flydubai Flight 1073 departed Dubai International Airport for Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, Israel, carrying approximately 174 passengers, the majority of them Israeli citizens, including 4 United States citizens and 27 children,” it stated.
“Whereas, midway through the flight, the first officer attacked the captain on the flight deck with the aircraft’s emergency crash axe and attempted to seize the flight controls, and the aircraft lost more than 14,000 feet of altitude in under 30 seconds,” it said.
Whereas Captain Smit Machchhar, a citizen of India, fought off the attack and, despite grave injuries, used his remaining strength to unlock the cockpit door so that off-duty pilots could enter and land the aircraft and so that crew and passengers could restrain the first officer; Whereas the aircraft landed safely at Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia with all passengers and crew accounted for; and Whereas, on October 3, 2026, the Attorney General of the United Arab Emirates announced that the Emirati investigation had determined that the first officer attempted to carry out a terrorist act,” it added.
The House resolves
Resolved, That the House of Representatives
- honors Captain Smit Machchhar for extraordinary courage in protecting every soul aboard his aircraft;
- commends the heroic actions of the off-duty pilots, cabin crew, and passengers who secured the flight deck and brought the aircraft safely down;
- wishes Captain Machchhar and all who were injured a full recovery;
- condemns the attack on Flydubai Flight 1073 as an act of terrorism and as an attack on the safety of international civil aviation; and
- calls for a full and expeditious investigation by the Governments of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, and for the United States and Israel to be kept fully informed.
Captain making ‘steady progress’: Indian Embassy
Meanwhile, the Indian Embassy in the UAE said that Machchhar is making “steady progress” and is “regaining his health”. “Capt Smit continues to make steady progress and is regaining his health. The Embassy remains in close touch with his family, doctors & local authorities, extending all possible assistance,” the embassy posted on X.
“We thank everyone for their prayers & wish him a speedy recovery,” it added.
It is understood that Machchhar was shifted to the UAE a day after he was admitted to a hospital in Tabuk city in northwest Saudi Arabia to receive necessary medical attention.
Machchhar was covered with blood on the floor when he managed to click open the release on the cockpit door.
What happened on flydubai flight FZ1073?
The flight, carrying 174 passengers, transmitted emergency signals and made a rapid descent of more than 17,000 feet from 34,000 feet. The captain was lying injured on the cockpit floor when he realised the plane was descending and decided to make “one last push” to open the cockpit door.
An Omani citizen, Hamam al-Hammami, has been identified as the flydubai co-pilot who attacked Machchhar and allegedly attempted to take control of the flight, according to reports published by multiple news outlets, including the Wall Street Journal and CNN.
Al-Hammami was previously barred from flying in Oman over concerns about his radical ideological views, the reports said, quoting people familiar with the matter. He attacked Machchhar with a crash axe, typically kept in the cockpit for use in emergencies, seriously injuring him. The motive for the attack remains unclear.
Two reserve pilots landed the aircraft safely at Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Airport in Saudi Arabia’s Tabuk city, where the co-pilot was taken into custody and Machchhar was taken to a nearby hospital before being airlifted to Abu Dhabi.
(With PTI, ANI inputs)
Also Read
Omani co-pilot wanted to crash flydubai plane in Israel to take ‘revenge for Gaza, die a martyr’
Fearing a 9/11-like attack, Israel prepared to shoot down flydubai flight with 174 onboard: Report
