Bhubaneswar: Odisha leaders across the political spectrum showered praise on Indian pilot Smit Machchhar for thwarting his co-pilot’s alleged attempt to crash a flydubai flight, with Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi saying that selfless sacrifice “reflects the timeless Bharatiya ethos of ‘Seva Paramo Dharma’.
In a social media post, he said the pilot’s extraordinary courage and devotion to duty were deeply inspiring.
“Even after sustaining serious injuries, he put the lives of others before his own. His selfless sacrifice reflects the timeless Bharatiya ethos of ‘Seva Paramo Dharma’. My heartfelt prayers are with Captain Machchhar and his family. May Mahaprabhu Shri Jagannath bless him with strength, healing and a complete recovery,” Majhi said in his post.
BJD president Naveen Patnaik also hailed Machchhar and said India was proud of him.
“Saluting Indian Captain Smit Machchhar who displayed remarkable courage and swift action to save the lives of passengers on board a flydubai flight. Despite being gravely injured, he fought off his co-pilot to save lives mid-air. India is proud of his bravery and humanity. Wish him speedy recovery and good health,” the former Odisha chief minister Patnaik said in an X post.
Greetings poured in for Captain Machchhar, who successfully thwarted a violent attempt by his co-pilot to crash Flight FZ1073 travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv, saving the lives of 174 passengers and crew members on board.
During the flight, the co-pilot allegedly stabbed Captain Machchhar in an attempt to hijack and crash the Boeing 737 MAX 8. The resulting struggle caused the aircraft to enter a violent dive, losing nearly 16,000 feet of altitude in less than a minute.
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However, Captain Machchhar resisted the attacker and unlocked the cockpit door, allowing crew members and passengers to rush inside, overpower the co-pilot, and assist in stabilising the aircraft.
Later, the flight made an emergency landing at Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. Captain Machchhar was hospitalised for his injuries.