Who is Smit Machchhar? Indian pilot at centre of Flydubai flight scare

An Indian national and former SpiceJet pilot has been identified in reports as the captain of Flydubai flight FZ1073, which made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday after a reported confrontation between the two pilots.

Who is Smit Machchhar?

According to information reported by The Economic Times, Smit Machchhar was the captain of the Flydubai Boeing 737 MAX 8 involved in the incident.

Machchhar reportedly joined Flydubai in 2022 after spending about a decade flying for SpiceJet. He was reportedly injured during the confrontation but managed to regain control of the aircraft before it diverted to Tabuk in north-western Saudi Arabia.

However, Flydubai has not publicly confirmed the identities or nationalities of the pilots.

What happened aboard Flydubai flight FZ1073?

Flight FZ1073 was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv when an incident involving the two pilots occurred more than two hours into the journey.

The aircraft transmitted emergency signals and subsequently made a rapid descent before diverting to Tabuk Airport. Flight-tracking data showed the aircraft descending from around 34,000 feet to below 17,000 feet during the incident.

Reports said the aircraft initially transmitted the 7700 emergency code, followed by 7500, which is associated with unlawful interference. The 7500 signal prompted concerns about a possible hijacking and led to Israeli fighter aircraft being scrambled, according to reports.

The aircraft eventually landed safely in Tabuk, with passengers and crew accounted for.

What is being reported about the cockpit confrontation?

Reports from Israeli media said there was a physical confrontation between the pilots inside the cockpit.

Some reports alleged that the co-pilot attacked the captain and attempted to take control of the aircraft. Other reports suggested that the incident was being examined as a possible attempt to deliberately crash the aircraft.

These details have not been independently confirmed by Flydubai.

Israeli officials are investigating the circumstances of the incident, while both pilots were taken to hospital after the aircraft landed.

What did passengers report?

Passengers reportedly heard shouting and screaming during the flight and noticed the aircraft rapidly losing altitude.

Some passenger accounts published by Israeli media alleged that blood was visible inside the cockpit and that passengers and crew members intervened.

One passenger told Israeli media that passengers realised something was wrong after hearing screams and that one of the pilots had been seriously injured.

These accounts remain part of the wider investigation and have not been independently verified in full.

Why was the aircraft diverted to Saudi Arabia?

The aircraft was originally flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv but diverted to Tabuk after the cockpit incident and emergency signals.

The aircraft, a Boeing 737 MAX 8 registered as A6-FKF, landed safely at Tabuk Airport.

Flydubai confirmed that an incident had occurred during the flight and said its teams were working with the relevant authorities. The airline said passengers and crew were safe but did not provide details about the cockpit confrontation or the pilots' identities.

Was it a hijacking?

Initial concerns centred on a possible hijacking after the aircraft transmitted the 7500 code associated with unlawful interference.

Israeli authorities subsequently indicated that the incident was not believed to be a conventional hijacking. Officials are investigating other possible explanations for the confrontation and the aircraft's rapid descent.

Reports have variously described the incident as a possible attempt to take control of the aircraft, an attempted deliberate crash or a possible terror-related incident. These descriptions remain under investigation and should not be treated as established facts.

Flydubai said it was working with the relevant authorities and would provide further information once confirmed details became available.

The airline was also arranging another aircraft to transport stranded passengers from Saudi Arabia to Israel.

The incident is being investigated by the relevant Saudi and Israeli authorities, while Flydubai is conducting its own inquiry.