Smit Machchhar, an Indian pilot and former SpiceJet captain, was the pilot in command of Flydubai flight FZ1073 that was diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, after an incident in the cockpit on Wednesday.
The Boeing 737 MAX 8 was flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv when a confrontation reportedly broke out between the two pilots more than two hours into the journey. Machchhar was reportedly injured during the incident and was later taken to a hospital in Tabuk along with the co-pilot. The aircraft landed safely, with all passengers and crew accounted for.
Who is Smit Machchhar?
Machchhar joined Flydubai in June 2022 as a direct-entry captain and has been flying the airline's Boeing 737 fleet, according to his LinkedIn profile. Before joining Flydubai, he spent around 11 years with SpiceJet in Mumbai.
At SpiceJet, Machchhar served as a senior commander and later became a line training captain in November 2020, a role that involved training and checking other pilots. His profile lists more than 9,700 hours of flying experience on Boeing 737-800 and 737 MAX aircraft.
Reports said Machchhar had accumulated more than 6,400 hours as pilot-in-command during his time with SpiceJet. His profile also indicates an interest in joining Flydubai's training team.
Machchhar holds a bachelor's degree in business administration from the Welingkar Institute of Management. His LinkedIn profile does not publicly specify where he received his flight training.
What happened on Flydubai flight FZ1073?
The flight was travelling from Dubai International Airport to Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv on September 30 when the incident occurred.
According to flight-tracking data, the aircraft transmitted the 7700 emergency code and had earlier transmitted the 7500 code associated with unlawful interference. The aircraft subsequently diverted to Tabuk Airport in northwestern Saudi Arabia.
Israeli officials later said the incident involved an altercation between the pilots. Reports have alleged that the co-pilot, identified as an Omani national, attacked Machchhar. However, the precise sequence of events and the motive behind the confrontation have not yet been conclusively established.
Flydubai confirmed that an incident occurred while the flight was en route and said the aircraft landed safely in Tabuk, with passengers and crew safe. The airline said it was working with the relevant authorities and that further updates would be issued as confirmed information became available.
The incident is being investigated by the relevant authorities, while Flydubai is also looking into what happened onboard the aircraft.
