The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking a national bravery award or other appropriate national civilian recognition for Captain Smit Machchhar, the Indian pilot who was seriously injured while helping avert a potential disaster aboard flydubai flight FZ1073.
In a letter dated October 2, the pilots’ body described Machchhar’s actions during the September 30 incident as an act of “extraordinary courage, exceptional leadership and exemplary devotion to duty” and asked the Prime Minister’s Office to consider him for recognition after verification of the facts by competent authorities.
The incident has drawn praise from leaders in India and abroad. The flight was carrying 174 passengers and eight crew members, meaning 182 people were entrusted to the flight crew.
Machchhar was the pilot-in-command of the flydubai flight operating from Dubai to Tel Aviv when an extremely serious incident unfolded inside the cockpit, according to the FIP. The federation said Machchhar was reportedly attacked by the first officer with a crash axe and sustained serious injuries. The FIP said Machchhar’s actions, despite the personal danger he faced, contributed to bringing the aircraft safely to an alternate airport. The Federation of Indian Pilots said a pilot-in-command is trained to deal with aircraft emergencies, adverse weather, technical failures, medical emergencies and other operational threats. However, it said an attack on the pilot-in-command inside the flight deck presents a fundamentally different and exceptionally grave challenge. The federation said Machchhar’s ability to remain composed, exercise command and make critical decisions while injured and under threat demonstrated courage, resilience, situational awareness, leadership and devotion to duty. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has lauded Machchhar’s courage, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described him as a “true hero” and said he had helped prevent a catastrophic mid-air disaster.
Despite being badly injured and facing an immediate threat inside the flight deck, he continued to perform his responsibilities as pilot-in-command, exercising command and judgement under extreme circumstances before the aircraft was diverted safely to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
