Mumbai, October 5, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Tina Goswami, a former colleague of Captain Smit Machchhar, said the Indian pilot displayed remarkable presence of mind and quick thinking while confronting his co-pilot during the alleged attempted attack on a flydubai flight.
Goswami said pilots and cabin crew are generally trained to respond to external threats through teamwork and crew coordination, whereas the incident involving Machchhar presented an internal threat that he had to confront largely on his own.
Speaking to IANS, Goswami said the aviation community was initially shocked and concerned about the safety of everyone on board. She noted that pilots undergo extensive emergency training, including simulator sessions every six months and crew resource management (CRM) and crew coordination training annually.
She explained that such training emphasises mutual respect among crew members and allows co-pilots to raise concerns if they believe a captain is making an incorrect decision.
Goswami said Machchhar’s 17 years of flying experience would have given him an intuitive understanding of the aircraft’s behaviour, something pilots often describe as a “feeling of flight”.
She said experienced pilots can recognise changes in an aircraft’s altitude, speed or movement even without directly looking at the instruments.
Referring to Machchhar’s account of the incident, Goswami said he appeared to quickly understand that opening the aircraft door was critical after he was injured and the aircraft was reportedly out of control.
She said his decision-making under pressure demonstrated his presence of mind and that saving even one life in such circumstances was a significant achievement.
Goswami also backed the description of Machchhar as a hero, saying his actions potentially prevented a much larger tragedy involving the aircraft’s passengers.
She said Machchhar’s actions had brought recognition to the pilot community and helped avert what could have developed into a more serious situation.
The incident involved an alleged attack by Machchhar’s co-pilot with an axe, following which the aircraft landed safely.
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