Flydubai Cockpit Altercation: Indian-Origin Captain, Former SpiceJet Pilot Identified in FZ1073 Emergency Landing

An Indian national and former SpiceJet pilot, Captain Smit Machchhar, has been identified in media reports as the captain involved in a cockpit altercation aboard a Flydubai flight that made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday.

Flydubai flight FZ1073, a Boeing 737 MAX 8 operating from Dubai to Tel Aviv, was diverted to Tabuk in northwestern Saudi Arabia after an altercation reportedly broke out between the captain and co-pilot. The aircraft, carrying around 180 passengers and crew, landed safely.

Media reports said Machchhar was attacked by the co-pilot during the flight and helped prevent the situation from escalating. However, the precise sequence of events and circumstances leading to the confrontation remain under investigation.

Flydubai confirmed that an “altercation occurred in the flight deck” of FZ1073. The airline said the aircraft was “successfully secured by on-duty flydubai crew travelling on the flight”, after which it was diverted to Tabuk Airport and landed safely. Both pilots were reportedly injured and taken to hospital.

Flight-tracking data indicated that the aircraft made a sharp descent during the incident. Reports based on the tracking data said the Boeing 737 MAX 8 descended from around 34,000 feet to below 20,000 feet within a short period before the crew regained control and diverted the aircraft to Tabuk.

The incident initially raised concerns of a possible hijacking after the aircraft reportedly transmitted emergency signals, including the 7500 transponder code associated with unlawful interference. Israeli fighter jets were reportedly scrambled following the alert as authorities responded to the situation.

Passenger accounts indicated that there were moments of panic inside the aircraft during the confrontation. One passenger told reporters that the aircraft appeared to be out of control and alleged that passengers intervened to help restrain the co-pilot. A doctor travelling on the flight also reportedly provided first aid to those injured.

Flydubai said it had arranged two replacement aircraft at Tabuk to transport the passengers and crew onward to their destination.

The airline has said that the underlying reasons and motives behind the cockpit altercation were not known at this stage and would be established through a formal investigation.