Washington: US lawmakers and aviation experts have praised Indian pilot Smit Machchhar for his actions in preventing an alleged attempt to crash a Dubai-Tel Aviv flight, helping save the lives of all 174 people on board.
Machchhar was reportedly attacked by his co-pilot in the cockpit of the Flydubai flight. The aircraft later made an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
Experts compared Machchhar’s actions with those of Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger, who safely landed a US Airways flight on New York’s Hudson River in January 2009 after both engines lost power following bird strikes.
US Senator Steve Daines, a Republican from Montana, described Machchhar as an “Indian hero” in a post responding to Indian Ambassador to the US Vinay Mohan Kwatra.
