'He Is a Hero': Donald Trump Praises Indian Pilot Smit Machhar After Cockpit Knife Attack
United States President Donald Trump has publicly commended the bravery of Indian aviator Captain Smit Machhar, calling him a "hero" who prevented a catastrophic mid-air crash. Speaking to reporters from the Oval Office, Trump addressed the dramatic security incident aboard a Flydubai flight en route from Dubai to Tel Aviv. According to Trump, the flight commander faced extreme peril when an armed Omani co-pilot launched a violent knife attack inside the cockpit, yet Machhar fought through grievous injuries to keep the airliner from going down.
Injured Captain Opened Cockpit Door to Call for Help
Recounting the sequence of events relayed to him by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump explained that the assault occurred without warning at cruising altitude. Despite sustaining severe stab wounds and slipping into critical condition, Captain Machhar retained composure, managed to unlock the fortified cockpit bulkhead door, and alerted the cabin to the hostile emergency. Trump highlighted that this critical action created the opening for external intervention, calling the captain's resilience and presence of mind extraordinary.
Plumber Passenger Steps Up Without Prior Flight Experience
In another surprising detail shared during the press interaction, Trump recounted how an Israeli passenger rushed into the flight deck to confront the attacker. The passenger, identified as a plumber by profession with zero aviation training, entered the cockpit, seized the co-pilot from the controls, and threw him backward. Other travelers joined the struggle immediately, pinning down the assailant and securing the forward deck. Trump characterized the passenger's sudden, high-stakes intervention as nothing short of amazing.
Emergency Maneuvers Learned From Watching 'Air Disasters'
Trump noted that the passenger later explained how he knew what steps to take during the cockpit struggle. The man revealed that he was an avid viewer of the television docuseries "Air Disasters," which provided him with a basic conceptual understanding of flight stabilization and crash scenarios. While recounting these details, Trump noted that he had not independently verified the specific operational particulars and was sharing the narrative based on initial briefings received directly from Netanyahu and preliminary sources.
Safe Emergency Landing in Tabuk After Crew Intervention
Following the struggle, other flight crew members and off-duty pilots seated in the passenger cabin moved forward to take command of the aircraft's control console. The flight diverted rapidly toward northwestern Saudi Arabia, executing a safe emergency landing at Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz Airport in Tabuk. Describing the entire ordeal as one of the most astonishing mid-air occurrences in modern commercial aviation, Trump underscored that the collective grit of Captain Machhar and the passengers averted what could have been a historic aviation tragedy.
