Mumbai
As Captain Smit Machchhar recovers from injuries sustained while helping avert a major mid-air crisis aboard a flydubai flight, friends and neighbours at his Mumbai residence have rallied around the pilot, recalling him as a calm, disciplined and humble person, who had grown up among them. Smit Machchhar, an Indian pilot with flydubai, was injured during a confrontation with the co-pilot aboard Flight FZ1073, which was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv on Wednesday. Despite his injuries, he managed to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers and crew to intervene.
The aircraft was subsequently diverted and landed safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, with all 174 people on board reported safe. Back in Mumbai, those who watched Smit Machchhar grow up said his actions were consistent with the temperament they had known since childhood. Prateek Gandhi, a childhood friend and neighbour, told IANS that he felt proud seeing someone from his own building play such a crucial role in saving lives. “He was someone who grew up with us, and it makes me proud that someone from our building has contributed to such a cause,” Gandhi said. Recalling Smit Machchhar’s composure, Gandhi said, “With his sixth sense and presence of mind, he saved 174 people.” He described Smit Machchhar as calm and composed since childhood and said those qualities may have helped him remain steady when the situation inside the aircraft turned critical. “A person might change, but the base of that person remains the same,” Gandhi said, adding that Smit Machchhar’s calm demeanour could explain why he was able to respond to the crisis despite the circumstances. “Videos from inside the aircraft that have emerged since the incident also appeared to show Machchhar remaining composed,” he said.
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An older neighbour who has known Smit Machchhar’s family for long, recalled seeing him play around the residential building as a child. “He used to play around in the building. While growing up, he kept to himself and never bothered anyone,” the neighbour said. He described Machchhar as disciplined and hardworking, qualities he believed helped him pursue an aviation career. “He was very disciplined and worked hard. That is how he became a pilot,” he said. Recalling the events that took place on the flight, the neighbour said he found it difficult to put his feelings into words. “I don’t have words to explain how I felt after the incident,” he said. Another family friend described Machchhar as a humble and “amazing” person and told the media she was praying for his safety and recovery. “He is a really good friend of mine.
I am praying for his safety and hoping that he is doing well,” she said. She said Smit Machchhar’s parents live in India, while his wife and children are based in Dubai. “He is wonderful and an amazing person, and just very humble,” she said. The family friend said Smit Machchhar’s actions were particularly remarkable given that he himself was severely injured during the incident. Smit Machchhar, who previously spent more than 11 years with SpiceJet before joining flydubai in 2022, has more than 13 years of commercial flying experience. He has accumulated more than 9,500 flying hours, according to publicly available information.