Indian-Origin Flydubai Pilot Helped Prevent 9/11-Like Mid-Air Attack

A Flydubai captain of reportedly Indian origin helped prevent a possible 9/11-style attack after allegedly fighting off his co-pilot, who was accused of attempting to seize control of the aircraft and crash it.

The captain, identified as Smith Machchar, reportedly confronted the Omani co-pilot after an alleged attack while the aircraft was flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv with around 180 passengers on board. Machchar had previously worked with SpiceJet for about a decade, according to reports.

Israeli media outlets also reported that the captain was of Indian origin. Channel 12 described him as a pilot of “Indian origin”, while Ynet identified him as an “Indian national”.

The aircraft was diverted and made an emergency landing at Saudi Arabia’s Tabuk airport at around 9:45 am local time (0645 GMT). Both the captain and co-pilot were injured in the incident and were taken to hospital, according to a statement from the company operating the airport.

Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir described the incident as a “terrorist” attack and alleged that the co-pilot intended to crash the aircraft and kill Israelis. However, the circumstances surrounding the incident, including the co-pilot’s alleged actions and possible motive, remain under investigation.

Flight-tracking data cited by reports showed that the aircraft experienced a sudden loss of altitude. The plane reportedly descended from nearly 34,000 feet at 0521 GMT to below 17,000 feet a minute later.

Passenger Miryam Shira Ohayon said the aircraft appeared to be “pretty much out of control” after one pilot allegedly attacked the other while the plane was flying over Jordan.

According to Ohayon, passengers and others on board intervened to restrain the co-pilot. She said a doctor also provided first aid to the injured pilots.

“Ohayon said the incident left passengers fearing that the aircraft could crash, describing the situation as an apparent attempt to bring the plane down.

Several Israeli media reports said a physical altercation broke out between the two pilots during the flight, reportedly triggering a distress signal and forcing the aircraft to divert to Tabuk.