- Captain Machhar saved 174 lives during co-pilot knife attack.
- Neerja Bhanot alerted crew, saved lives during 1986 hijacking.
- Captains Sharan and Mehta displayed courage during flight hijackings.
On September 30, 2026, Captain Smit Machhar was attacked with a knife by the co-pilot of FlyDubai flight FZ1073, which was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv. The aircraft plunged from 30,875 feet to 16,750 feet in just 29 seconds.
Despite being covered in blood, Machhar remained composed and opened the cockpit door, an action that saved the lives of 174 people. Prime Minister Narendra Modi called him a “hero”.
But was Smit Machhar the first Indian to display such courage aboard a commercial flight? No.
There have been several instances in which Indians have shown extraordinary courage during aviation emergencies and helped save lives.
Neerja Bhanot: Pan Am Flight 73
On September 5, 1986, Pan Am Flight 73, travelling from Mumbai to New York, stopped in Karachi, where four armed terrorists from the Abu Nidal Organization hijacked the aircraft.
Neerja Bhanot, the 22-year-old senior flight purser, was the first to sense the danger. She alerted the cockpit crew by shouting “hijack!”, allowing the pilots to escape through the cockpit hatch and preventing the terrorists from taking control of the plane.
When the hijackers demanded passengers’ passports, Neerja and other crew members hid the passports of the 41 American passengers to prevent them from being identified.
During the 17-hour hostage crisis, Neerja managed the cabin and helped keep frightened passengers calm.
The terrorists eventually opened fire. Neerja opened an emergency exit and began evacuating passengers.
Dharmendra Shah, a surviving passenger, recalled, “Neerja was standing right near the exit. She could have run first, but she pushed everyone out. She went to rescue the children trapped inside and was shot from behind.”
Neerja could have escaped herself but was killed while shielding children with her body, just two days before her 23rd birthday.
More than 350 passengers survived the hijacking. Neerja was posthumously awarded the Ashoka Chakra, becoming the first civilian and youngest recipient of the honour.
Captain Devi Sharan: IC 814 Kandahar Hijacking
On December 24, 1999, five masked terrorists armed with guns and grenades hijacked Indian Airlines Flight IC 814 while it was travelling from Kathmandu to Delhi.
There were 179 passengers and 11 crew members on board.
For Captain Devi Sharan, what began as a routine flight changed within minutes. The hijackers forced the aircraft to fly to Amritsar, Lahore, Dubai and eventually Kandahar.
A gun was held to Captain Sharan’s neck throughout the hijacking, but he remained resolute. He later said he had hoped authorities in Amritsar would prevent the plane from taking off by placing a fuel tanker in front of it. That did not happen.
The aircraft remained grounded in Kandahar for eight days. One passenger, Rupin Katyal, was killed, while the remaining 176 people survived.
The Indian government released three terrorists — Maulana Masood Azhar, Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh and Mushtaq Ahmed Zargar — in exchange for the remaining hostages.
Captain Devi Sharan retired in January 2025 after 40 years of service. Air India honoured him, saying, “The sky bows, the runway salutes. A name etched in history, a legacy written with courage.”
ALSO READ: Flydubai Flight FZ1073: Meet The Five People Who Helped Avert 9/11-Style Mid-Air Disaster
Indian Airlines Flight 421: The Dubai Hijacking
On August 24, 1984, Indian Airlines Flight 421, travelling from Delhi to Srinagar, was hijacked by seven Khalistani terrorists after taking off from Chandigarh.
There were 73 people on board, including five children and six crew members.
The hijackers ordered pilot V.K. Mehta to fly to Amritsar and circle over the Golden Temple. He subsequently flew to Lahore, Karachi and finally Dubai.
Dubai airport initially refused permission to land. Captain Mehta informed the control tower that the aircraft was running out of fuel and would be forced to make a water landing. The Dubai authorities subsequently allowed the aircraft to land.
Dubai’s Defence Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, personally negotiated with the hijackers for 10 hours.
The terrorists wanted to fly to America, but Sheikh Mohammed made it clear that this was not his concern. When the hijackers attempted to fly to Istanbul, Dubai refused to refuel the aircraft.
Finally, at 6:48 pm, all 73 passengers were released and the hijackers surrendered to UAE authorities. No passengers were killed during the operation.
There was another significant connection to the incident. Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar’s father, renowned strategist K. Subrahmanyam, was on board the aircraft. Jaishankar was a young officer at the time and was part of the team handling the hijacking. While he was dealing with the crisis, his family was also putting pressure on the government.
What Makes Smit Machhar’s Case Different?
Smit Machhar’s case stands apart because the attack came from within the cockpit. The co-pilot himself stabbed him and attempted to bring down the aircraft.
But the other cases share a common thread. Pilots and crew members faced extreme adversity without panicking, acted with discretion and helped save passengers’ lives.
From Neerja Bhanot’s actions during the Pan Am 73 hijacking to Captain Devi Sharan’s handling of IC 814 and Captain V.K. Mehta’s response during the 1984 hijacking, Indian aviation history has recorded several such acts of courage.
Smit Machhar’s actions now form another chapter in that history.
ALSO READ: Captain Smit Machchhar’s First Visuals After Flydubai Attack; Pilot Seen With Heavy Bandages
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: abplive.com
