“When we are up there and if something happens, you know, who’s gonna save you?”
These were hero flydubai pilot Smit Machchhar’s words from a year before he was stabbed by his co-pilot during a life-threatening cockpit confrontation on a Dubai-Tel Aviv flight, as he spoke about the importance of trained crew during emergencies. Machchhar’s remarks, made during a podcast in October 2025, have gone viral on social media.
The Indian pilot, who was captaining Flight FZ1073, was injured in the cockpit confrontation and shouted for help. News website Ynet, citing Israeli officials, reported that the co-pilot, an Omani national, was suspected of trying to crash the aircraft.
Against the backdrop of the flydubai stabbing horror, the old podcast has resurfaced, in which Machchhar spoke about the crucial role of cabin crew during emergencies and who comes to their aid when something goes wrong in the air.
“When we are up there and if something happens, you know, who’s gonna save you? You’ll be lucky enough to have a doctor on board, but if not, then they are trained. I’m not saying they are trained to do surgeries and stuff, but then they can save your life,” the pilot told interviewer Zalak Mehta on Bonafide Banter podcast.
You can watch the full interview here:
An Israeli passenger, who is a plumber and had no flying experience, intervened during the confrontation and helped overpower the flydubai co-pilot. He then took control of the plane before the flight made an emergency landing at Tabuk airport in Saudi Arabia.
In the old podcast, Machchhar spoke about the way passengers sometimes view cabin crew, saying their importance becomes apparent only when an emergency unfolds. “It is unfortunate how the entire outlook of people is towards the crew. But when things are going wrong, you need them,” he said.
Those words now carry a different weight after what happened aboard the flydubai flight.
According to eyewitness accounts cited by the Associated Press, there was “blood in the cockpit” during the confrontation, while the aircraft dropped from around 33,000 feet to 17,000 feet in roughly 30 seconds. Machchhar, despite being injured, helped get the plane safely to Tabuk with assistance from the Israeli plumber.
Machchhar later underwent surgery at a hospital in Tabuk and is reported to be stable. The co-pilot was later arrested by Saudi authorities after the plane landed.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and several world leaders, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump have praised Machchhar for his bravery and called him a “hero”.
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