US Lawmaker Introduces House Resolution to Honour Indian Pilot Smit Machchhar
Josh Gottheimer commends Machchhar, crew and passengers for preventing a potential disaster aboard Dubai-Tel Aviv flight
WASHINGTON, Oct 6: US Congressman Josh Gottheimer has introduced a resolution in the House of Representatives honouring Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar for his courage during an alleged attack aboard a flydubai flight bound for Tel Aviv.
The Democratic lawmaker from New Jersey praised Machchhar for taking action despite being seriously injured and helping prevent a potentially catastrophic incident involving Flight FZ1073. The resolution also recognises the contribution of off-duty pilots, cabin crew members and passengers who helped secure the cockpit and ensure the aircraft reached the ground safely.
Introduced on Monday, the resolution describes the incident as an act of terrorism and condemns it as an attack on the safety of international civil aviation. It further urges the governments of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to conduct a full and timely investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The measure also calls for the United States and Israel to be kept fully informed about the progress and findings of the investigation.
Machchhar was piloting the Dubai-Tel Aviv service when he was allegedly attacked by his co-pilot while the aircraft was in flight. According to reports, the attacker attempted to take control of the aircraft after assaulting the captain inside the cockpit.
Multiple media outlets, including The Wall Street Journal and CNN, identified the co-pilot as Omani national Hamam al-Hammami. The reports, citing people familiar with the matter, said he had previously been barred from flying in Oman over concerns regarding his ideological views.
During the confrontation, al-Hammami allegedly used a crash axe kept inside the cockpit for emergencies to attack Machchhar. The captain sustained serious injuries, while the precise motive behind the assault remains under investigation.
The aircraft, carrying 174 people, issued emergency signals and rapidly descended by more than 17,000 feet from an altitude of around 34,000 feet following the incident.
Despite his injuries, Machchhar reportedly realised that the aircraft was losing altitude and managed to open the cockpit door. This allowed passengers to enter the flight deck and overpower the alleged attacker.
Two reserve pilots subsequently took control of the aircraft and landed it safely at Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Airport in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
Following the emergency landing, al-Hammami was taken into custody, while Machchhar was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment. He was later airlifted to Abu Dhabi for further medical care.
The House resolution comes amid continued attention on the actions of those involved in bringing the aircraft to safety and calls for authorities in the countries concerned to establish the circumstances and motive behind the cockpit assault.
