An Indian airline captain who was at the controls of a FlyDubai flight when a copilot stabbed him in an apparent attempt to crash the plane has been hailed as a hero, with his actions to thwart the disaster drawing praise from world leaders.
Capt. Smit Machchhar, who hails from India’s financial hub of Mumbai, was seriously injured as passengers rushed into the cockpit and restrained the attacker as the drama unfolded on Wednesday while the Boeing 737 descended sharply, according to witnesses and Israeli authorities.
