Brief
Captain Dhaval Patel describes friend Smit Machchhar’s mid‑air attack as shattering
Patel, a longtime colleague, relayed his reaction to the incident and the pilot’s steady recovery.
By Felo News Desk · Published
Captain Dhaval Patel, who has known flydubai pilot Smit Machchhar for close to two decades, said watching footage of the mid‑air stabbing on flight 1073 was “shattering,” the New York Post reported.
Patel recalled training with Machchhar in New Zealand and praised his clarity in teaching aviation concepts. He said he was “not ready to believe it was Captain Smit” when videos showed the alleged attack, adding that seeing a friend suffer “breaks you.”
The incident occurred on a Dubai‑to‑Tel Aviv flight on 30 September 2026 when Machchhar’s co‑pilot, identified as Hamam al‑Hammami of Oman, allegedly stabbed him. Despite his injuries, Machchhar opened the cockpit door, helped restrain the attacker and, with assistance from passengers and off‑duty pilots, landed the aircraft safely in Saudi Arabia.
Patel told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that Machchhar is now “recovering steadily, out of any danger and in good health,” and that the first sign of relief was seeing his friend respond well to medical treatment.
The New York Post also noted that al‑Hammami had previously been banned from flying by Oman’s national airline over concerns of radicalisation. Israeli leaders described the episode as a “jihadist terrorist attack.”
Key facts
- Captain Dhaval Patel has known Smit Machchhar for close to two decades. (nypost.com)
- Machchhar was stabbed by co‑pilot Hamam al‑Hammami on flight 1073 on 30 September 2026. (nypost.com)
- Machchhar opened the cockpit door, helped restrain the attacker and the plane landed safely in Saudi Arabia. (nypost.com)
- Patel said Machchhar is recovering steadily and out of danger. (nypost.com)
Sources
- [1] nypost.com — originally reported as “Longtime aviation pal of stabbed flydubai pilot Smit Machchhar said mid-air attack was ‘shattering’”
