'Crew saves your life': How Captain Smit Machchhar lived out his own words to save 180 lives, his viral interview resurfaces

Know how Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar saved 174 passengers by overpowering a rogue co-pilot on a Flydubai flight to Israel.

Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar has prevented a catastrophe by stopping the co-pilot from crashing the Flydubai flight going to Israel from Dubai. Even after being stabbed and injured on the cockpit floor, Machchhar had unlocked the door and thus helped people neutralize the assailant. After the dangerous incident, an interesting podcast session recorded in the previous year by the hero has become viral, showcasing his story in the field of aviation.

ALSO READ | Captain Smit Machchhar health update: Injured pilot in stable condition after mid-air attack on flydubai flight

From textile engineering to flying

Speaking to Zalak Mehta in a podcast session last year, Machchhar stated that aviation had not been his childhood dream. He intended to join his family business in textiles, and hence, he had pursued his degree in textile engineering, followed by a management course.

While undergoing the management course, a talk related to aviation interested him and shifted the course of his career. As Machchhar narrates, his mother was terrified of the profession because of the risk of flying, whereas his father had supported him with coolness.

The Flydubai flight FZ1073 emergency

Flydubai flight FZ1073 was carrying 174 passengers, including 27 children, when the Omani co-pilot launched a sudden knife attack and attempted to sabotage the aircraft systems. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana praised Machchhar as a hero for his incredible bravery.

Videos circulating on social media showed the wounded pilot in an oxygen mask after the plane successfully diverted and landed at Prince Sultan Bin Abdel Aziz Airport in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. Machchhar is currently recovering in a Saudi hospital, and local officials have confirmed that his parents have traveled to be with him.

ALSO READ | Inside the cockpit drama: How Captain Smit Machchhar saved 180 passengers from a rogue co-pilot

Stay informed on all the latest news, real-time breaking news updates, and follow all the important headlines in india news and world news on Zee News.