An Indian pilot has shared details of an in-flight security incident, explaining that he opened the cockpit door of an Israel-bound aircraft to allow passengers to enter and halt a rapid descent after he was assaulted by another pilot.
Mid-Air Attack and Flight Diversion
Captain Smit Machchhar was operating a Flydubai flight traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv when the incident occurred. According to Machchhar, he was attacked by another pilot on board the aircraft. The physical confrontation inside the cockpit forced the flight to make an emergency diversion to land in Saudi Arabia. During the episode, Machchhar opened the cockpit door to let passengers inside, which helped stop the plane's swift descent.
Official Response
Following the diversion and the safe landing of the aircraft, Ambassador Deepak Mittal met with Captain Machchhar. The ambassador expressed strong support for the pilot's actions during the crisis, stating that he was proud of Captain Smit for his bravery and felt very reassured after meeting him.