Flydubai Captain Injured in Emergency Flight to Tabuk

Flydubai captain Smit Machchhar was injured during an emergency aboard a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv, which landed safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, after he opened the cockpit door and others entered to intervene, according to accounts of the incident. Reports said everyone aboard survived. The circumstances inside the cockpit, including allegations about the copilot’s actions, have not been independently established in the available accounts. Machchhar described his actions during a video call with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He said he was injured and on the floor when he realized the aircraft was in danger, and pushed himself to open the cockpit door so others could come in. He credited the people who entered with helping ensure everyone’s safety. His account provides his description of the emergency; the sources do not include an independent account from the copilot or investigative findings establishing what happened in the cockpit. The flight, identified in reports as Flydubai flight FZ1073, was diverted to Tabuk after the emergency.