US House Move Honors Indian Pilot Who Fought Off Cockpit Attack

WASHINGTON, DC- Three US lawmakers have introduced a bipartisan House resolution honoring Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar for fighting off an attack in the cockpit of a Flydubai flight and helping save about 174 people aboard.

Representatives Josh Gottheimer, Michael McCaul and Don Bacon introduced the resolution, which condemns the September 30 attack on Flydubai Flight 1073 as an act of terrorism and calls for a full investigation by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

House Resolution 1612 was introduced on October 5 and referred to the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

The resolution recounts the events aboard Flight 1073, which departed Dubai International Airport for Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv carrying about 174 passengers. Most of the passengers were Israeli citizens, while four US citizens and 27 children were also aboard.

According to the resolution, midway through the flight, the first officer attacked Machchhar on the flight deck with the aircraft’s emergency crash axe and attempted to seize the flight controls.

The aircraft lost more than 14,000 feet of altitude in under 30 seconds.

Machchhar, an Indian citizen, fought off the attack despite suffering grave injuries, the resolution said.

He then used his remaining strength to unlock the cockpit door, allowing off-duty pilots to enter the flight deck and land the aircraft. Crew members and passengers were able to restrain the first officer.

The aircraft landed safely at Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia, with all passengers and crew accounted for.

The resolution cites an October 3 announcement by the Attorney General of the United Arab Emirates saying an Emirati investigation had determined that the first officer attempted to carry out a terrorist act.

The resolution “honors Captain Smit Machchhar for extraordinary courage in protecting every soul aboard his aircraft.”

It also “commends the heroic actions of the off-duty pilots, cabin crew, and passengers who secured the flight deck and brought the aircraft safely down.”

The House measure wishes Machchhar and all others injured in the incident a full recovery. It condemns the attack on Flight 1073 “as an act of terrorism and as an attack on the safety of international civil aviation.”

The resolution also calls for a “full and expeditious investigation” by Saudi Arabia and the UAE and says the United States and Israel should be kept fully informed. (IANS)