An Indian airline captain who was at the controls of a FlyDubai flight when his copilot stabbed him in an apparent attempt to crash the plane has been hailed as a hero, with his actions to thwart the disaster drawing praise from world leaders and those who knew him.
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who → stab → him
Capt. Smit Machchhar, who is from India’s financial hub of Mumbai, was seriously injured in Wednesday’s attack.
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who → injure → attack
Passengers described how the pilot still managed to open the cockpit door to let them in.
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pilot → describe → them
They restrained the attacker while the Boeing 737 descended sharply, according to witnesses and Israeli authorities.
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Boeing → restrain → witnesses
The attack forced the flight carrying 174 people from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, to Tel Aviv, Israel, to make an emergency landing in Tabuk in northwestern Saudi Arabia.
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attack → force → Arabia
Machchhar was taken to a hospital in stable condition, the Indian Embassy in Riyadh, the Saudi capital, said late Wednesday.
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Embassy → take → Riyadh
Embassy officials said Thursday that his family had been briefed on his recovery.
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family → say → recovery
India’s Modi lauds the pilot’s courage
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Modi → laud → courage
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday called Machchhar a hero.
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Modi → call → Machchhar
“In the face of the gravest danger and despite being seriously injured, he showed immense courage and an unwavering resolve to protect the lives of others.
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he → injure → others
His valor helped save hundreds of lives and avert a great tragedy,” Modi wrote on X.
Modi also praised the captain for demonstrating “patience, presence of mind and courage,” saying his “actions prevented another 9/11-like attack from happening.”
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actions → help → attack
He said he had spoken with Machchhar’s parents and wife and that the pilot was undergoing treatment.
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pilot → say → treatment
“Smit’s bravery fills every Indian with pride,” Modi said.
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Modi → fill → pride
The captain trained as a pilot in New Zealand
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captain → train → Zealand
According to Machchhar’s LinkedIn profile, he has worked for FlyDubai for about four years.
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he → accord → years
Before joining the airline, he spent 11 years with SpiceJet, an Indian low-cost carrier, where he served as a senior commander and line training captain.
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he → join → commander
He logged more than 9,750 flying hours with SpiceJet, according to the profile.
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He → log → profile
SpiceJet, in a post on X, praised Machchhar’s “heroic courage” and “selfless actions.”
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SpiceJet → praise → courage
“You are a hero to us all, Captain,” the airline wrote.
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airline → write → us
Machchhar, who is married and has two children, trained as a pilot at Mainland Air in the New Zealand city of Dunedin for 18 months, beginning in 2008, the school’s head Philip Kean told 1News, a New Zealand television news channel.
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head → have → 1News
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Kean said Machchhar “did very well” as a student and later returned to India, where he worked as a recruiter for the school.
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he → get → school
“We’re all very proud of him here and wish him a speedy recovery,” Kean said.
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Kean → ’re → recovery
The school, which opened in 1991, offers a range of certifications, from private pilots’ licenses to a diploma in aviation, and is popular with international students.
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which → open → students
A report published last year by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority found that 39 international students, all from India, were enrolled at the school at the time of its review, accounting for half of its total enrollment.
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students → publish → enrollment
The pilot had previously spoken about handling emergencies
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pilot → speak → emergencies
In a podcast interview last year, Machchhar recalled how nervous he was and how he made mistakes during his first commercial flight in India, and the lessons he learned from the experience.
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he → recall → experience
“At that stage, relaxing would have been the best option, he told interviewer Zalak Mehta of the Bona-Fide Banter podcast.
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he → relax → podcast
“Stressing is not going to help, at least … in this industry,” he added.
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he → go → industry
Machchhar also described an onboard emergency when a pregnant woman went into premature labor, forcing the crew to divert the plane.
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woman → describe → plane
He said he followed procedures carefully and ensured a safe landing on the first attempt.
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he → say → attempt
It was as quick as it should have been,” he said.
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he → say → ?
Israel’s Netanyahu praises the pilot as do his neighbours in Mumbai
Wednesday’s attack triggered a major security response in Israel, with authorities scrambling fighter jets in case of a possible hijacking.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the attacker, an Omani national, was arrested in Saudi Arabia and was undergoing interrogation there.
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attacker → praise → interrogation
Netanyahu also praised Machchhar’s “extraordinary bravery” in a post on X, saying the wounded captain fought back after being stabbed, opened the cockpit door and helped passengers and crew overpower the attacker, preventing what Netanyahu described as a “catastrophic midair disaster.”
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Netanyahu → praise → disaster
“He saved the lives of 174 people, including Israeli citizens and other nationals,” Netanyahu wrote.
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Netanyahu → save → citizens
Shota Musayev, a dentist and eyewitness, told The Associated Press how the wounded Machchhar managed to open the cockpit door to let them in before they grappled with the copilot.
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they → tell → copilot
Musayev then treated Machchhar.
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Musayev → treat → Machchhar
“Poor pilot, he was just praying the whole time and was in contact with me, and I was afraid we would really lose him,” Musayev said.
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Musayev → pray → him
In Ghatkopar East, the Mumbai suburb where Machchhar’s family lives, neighbors spoke of how easy-going he is and also lauded his courage.
“He has a lot of bravery in him,” said Ami Sapani, a neighbour who knows the family.
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who → live → family
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