Three world leaders, one Indian pilot, and a mid-air crisis that could have ended very differently.

After Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised Captain Smit Machchhar for his courage, US President Donald Trump has now joined the chorus, calling the Indian flydubai pilot a 'hero' following a terrifying cockpit attack aboard a Dubai-Tel Aviv flight.

Trump spoke about the incident at the White House, saying Netanyahu had told him that Machchhar was in very bad condition after being attacked by his co-pilot.

Trump said the injured pilot nevertheless managed to open the cockpit door and call for assistance.

The incident unfolded aboard flydubai Flight FZ1073 on September 30.

The aircraft, carrying 174 people, was flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv when the co-pilot allegedly attacked Machchhar with a knife. The aircraft then went into a dramatic descent, dropping nearly 14,000 feet in around 30 seconds, according to Reuters.

With the cockpit door open, passengers and crew members were able to intervene.

An Israeli passenger entered the cockpit and helped overpower the co-pilot, while additional flydubai pilots who were travelling on the aircraft subsequently took control.

The plane was diverted to Tabuk in Saudi Arabia, where it made an emergency landing.

Machchhar and the co-pilot were both taken for medical treatment, with the Indian captain later reported to be in stable condition.

Trump described the sequence as an 'amazing' story and said Machchhar had shown remarkable courage despite his injuries. However, the US President also made clear that he was recounting information passed on to him by Netanyahu and others and had not independently verified every detail.

The praise for Machchhar has now come from the leaders of Israel, India and the United States.

Netanyahu credited the Indian captain and those who intervened with helping save the lives of everyone aboard, while Modi said Machchhar showed immense courage and an unwavering determination to protect others despite being seriously injured.

Meanwhile, questions surrounding the co-pilot’s alleged actions remain under investigation.

His motive has not been established, and authorities are examining the circumstances of the cockpit attack.

For now, the story of Flight FZ1073 is one of a sudden cockpit struggle, a plunging aircraft and a desperate intervention that prevented a potentially catastrophic outcome.