The captain credited with helping prevent a suspected midair catastrophe aboard a FlyDubai flight has been identified by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as Capt. Smit Machchhar, an Indian pilot with more than a decade of commercial aviation experience. Machchhar was at the controls of Flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv on Wednesday when, according to Israeli officials and passenger accounts, a violent confrontation erupted in the cockpit.
Israeli authorities allege the aircraft's co-pilot attacked the captain in an apparent attempt to seize control of the Boeing 737 MAX 8, triggering a dramatic emergency that saw the jet lose thousands of feet in altitude before eventually diverting to Saudi Arabia. Israeli officials have since hailed Machchhar's actions as instrumental in preventing a disaster aboard the flight, which was carrying 174 people. Reports from Israeli media indicate the captain later underwent surgery for injuries sustained during the incident, while investigators in Saudi Arabia, Israel and the United Arab Emirates continue to examine exactly what happened on board.
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