Nearly a year before he was stabbed by his co-pilot during a life-threatening cockpit confrontation, Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar had spoken about the importance of discipline, focus, and a trained crew during emergencies. Now, his remarks from a podcast have gone viral after the Flydubai pilot helped bring a Dubai-Tel Aviv flight to safety following the mid-air incident.
Machchhar, who was captaining Flydubai Flight FZ1073, was injured during the confrontation after his co-pilot allegedly attempted to sabotage the aircraft’s systems. According to reports, he raised the alarm and continued to assist in controlling the aircraft despite being injured.
‘Who gonna save you when something happens…’
In the video podcast, Bonafide Banter with Zalak Mehta, recorded in October 2025, Machchhar spoke about what happens when pilots face unexpected situations in the air.
“When we are up there and if something happens, you know, who’s gonna save you?” he said, highlighting the importance of having trained crew members on board during emergencies.
Machchhar said passengers would be ‘lucky enough’ to have a doctor on board, but cabin crew are also trained to respond to emergencies and can help save lives when needed. “Will be lucky enough to have a doctor on board, but then if not, then they’re trained—I’m not saying they are trained to do, you know, surgeries and stuff—but then they can save your life. It is unfortunate how the entire outlook of people is towards the crew. But when things are going wrong, you need them,” he said.
Machchhar also spoke about the discipline required inside the cockpit, saying pilots avoid getting into deep discussions because conversations can become a distraction during a flight. “We try not to get into like deep discussions, because what happens is when you’re getting into a deep discussion you can get distracted,” he said.
He explained that pilots have a ‘switch-on’ mode for critical moments and recalled flying through severe turbulence during a thunderstorm. “When we don’t talk, that doesn’t mean we are scared,” he said, describing the focus required when conditions become challenging.
According to his LinkedIn profile, he has more than 13 years of commercial flying experience on Boeing 737 aircraft, with over 9,750 flying hours. He joined SpiceJet in 2011, where he held several positions, including line training captain and senior commander. In June 2022, he joined flydubai as a direct-entry captain and has since spent four years with the UAE government-owned low-cost carrier.
What happened on flydubai flight FZ1073?
The flydubai flight FZ1073, travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv, transmitted emergency signals on Wednesday and made a sharp descent of more than 17,000 feet from 34,000 feet before diverting to Prince Sultan Bin Abdel Aziz Airport in Saudi Arabia’s Tabuk city. The flight was carrying 174 passengers, including 27 children.
In videos circulating on social media, the pilot can be seen drenched in blood, wearing an oxygen mask and lying on his back in the galley of the aircraft.
The aircraft landed safely at Tabuk airport, and all passengers were out of danger, said Netanyahu, who met his security chiefs to discuss the situation.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar as a “HERO” after he helped avert a potentially catastrophic incident aboard a Flydubai flight travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv. Machchhar was seriously injured during a violent confrontation with his co-pilot but continued to act to protect the passengers on board.
Reacting to the incident, PM Modi praised the Indian captain’s courage and said his actions helped prevent a major tragedy. “Captain Smit Machchhar is a HERO. In the face of the gravest danger and despite being seriously injured, he showed immense courage and an unwavering resolve to protect the lives of others. His valour helped save hundreds of lives and avert a great tragedy. India is proud of Captain Machchhar,” PM Modi wrote in a post on X. The Prime Minister also wished the injured pilot a speedy recovery, praying for “speedy recovery, renewed strength and good health”.
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