The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) on Friday wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging a national bravery award or other appropriate national civilian recognition for Captain Smit Machchhar, the pilot-in-command of Flydubai Flight FZ1073 following the serious in-flight incident on September 30.
The pilots’ body, in its letter dated October 2, described Machchhar’s actions during the September 30 incident as an act of “extraordinary courage, exceptional leadership and exemplary devotion to duty” and asked the Prime Minister’s Office to consider him for recognition after verification of the facts by competent authorities.
‘Exercising Command And Judgement’
Machchhar was the pilot-in-command of the flydubai flight operating from Dubai to Tel Aviv when an extremely serious incident unfolded inside the cockpit, the FIP said in its letter.
The federation, in its letter, added that the Indian pilot was reportedly attacked by the first officer with a crash axe and sustained serious injuries. Despite being badly injured and facing an immediate threat inside the flight deck, he continued to perform his responsibilities as pilot-in-command, exercising command and judgement under extreme circumstances before the aircraft was diverted safely to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
The flight was carrying 174 passengers and eight crew members, meaning 182 people were entrusted to the flight crew. The FIP said Machchhar’s actions, despite the personal danger he faced, contributed to bringing the aircraft safely to an alternate airport.
FIP Seeks National Recognition
A pilot-in-command is trained to deal with aircraft emergencies, adverse weather, technical failures, medical emergencies and other operational threats. However, it said an attack on the pilot-in-command inside the flight deck presents a fundamentally different and exceptionally grave challenge, the Federation of Indian Pilots said its letter to PMO.
The federation said Machchhar’s ability to remain composed, exercise command and make critical decisions while injured and under threat demonstrated courage, resilience, situational awareness, leadership and devotion to duty.
The FIP said the significance of Machchhar’s actions should also be viewed against the responsibility placed on the flight crew for the safety of everyone aboard.
The safety of the passengers and crew depended on the flight crew retaining control of the aircraft and managing the emergency, the federation said.
The pilots’ body has therefore asked the government to consider Machchhar for an “appropriate National Bravery Award / national civilian recognition”, subject to the applicable provisions and verification of the facts by competent authorities. It has also urged authorities to examine the relevant operational and medical records before deciding on the appropriate form of recognition.