On Wednesday, a flydubai Boeing 737 bound for Tel Aviv, carrying 174 passengers, became the scene of a violent confrontation when the co‑pilot allegedly attacked Captain Smit Machchhar, leaving the captain seriously wounded.

Despite 17 years of aviation experience – 11 of them as a captain – Machchhar felt the aircraft begin to lose altitude. While lying injured and still being struck, he recalled his training, recognised that the cockpit door was within reach, and deliberately opened it.

The sudden opening allowed passengers to surge into the cockpit, wresting control from the struggling crew. In the minute that followed, the plane dropped roughly 17,000 feet before the pilots managed an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia.

Machchhar later told Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, from his hospital bed, that his years of experience helped him understand the unfolding crisis even while injured. Modi praised the captain, saying his actions averted “a great tragedy” and made the nation proud.

The incident underscores how a pilot’s composure, training, and rapid decision‑making can turn a potentially fatal situation into a survivable one, highlighting the critical role of experience in aviation safety.