Mumbai, Oct 2: Former Air Force fighter pilot Wing Commander Avinash Chikte (Retd) first flew with braveheart Smit Machchhar 14 years ago and remembers that true to his name, Smit was always smiling.
“I feel grief that my young friend has been injured, but also immense pride in the way he handled a very unusual situation in the cockpit, something that we have never trained for,” Chikte told PTI.
“Having spent 45 years in aviation, the cockpit is a sacred place for me, a temple. And everyone you meet there, the captain, the co-pilot, the crew, are your fellow worshippers,” he said.
“They are people you instinctively trust, because the cockpit thrives on trust. And that makes this situation shockingly unexpected,” he said, referring to the incident on a flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv in which Machchhar fought off his co-pilot, who attempted to crash the aircraft after stabbing and seriously injuring him in the cockpit.
“Passengers, cabin crew and pilots are thoroughly screened for weapons or anything that could be used to harm others. We all know that. But, what most people other than the airline staff do not know is, there is an axe in the cockpit,” he said.
Called a ‘crash axe’, it is meant to help pilots break open a jammed cockpit door or window after a crash, so they are not trapped inside a wreck that could catch fire any moment, Chikte said.
“There is a possibility that the co-pilot used that axe to attack the captain,” said Chikte, who was a commercial airline pilot after his IAF service and now works as a simulator instructor to train the next generation of pilots.
“The captain and the co-pilot back each other up during normal flying, and especially so during emergencies or “non-normal” situations. And there are plenty of those, from turbulence and weather to minor or major technical issues with the aircraft,” he said.
“That is why we have Standard Operating Procedures, (SOPs) laid down for all stages of flight, plus a Quick Reaction Handbook (QRH) to deal with emergencies. The aim is to ensure that the captain and the co-pilot work as a team and together handle the situation to ensure the safety of the aircraft and the passengers on board,” he said.
But not all abnormal situations are weather related or technical, Chikte said.
“We have clear protocols and procedures for situations such a passenger or a crew member being sick on board, or unruly passengers and even hijackers. We train for these situations and know what actions to take,” he said.
“But dealing with a violent co-pilot is something that is never discussed and never planned for, because nobody expects any crew member to behave like that,” the veteran pilot said.
“I have flown with many different captains and co-pilots. Despite great differences in age, knowledge, capabilities, skill and experience, one thing is invariably and uniformly encouraged and enforced. That is mutual respect,” he said.
“We respect each other’s good points and understand and respect and cater for each other’s inexperience and follies, he said.
Chikte said he first flew with Smit in 2012.
“He was a good co-pilot. Soon, he became a captain and moved out of the company we were in. I also moved out of that company, but we remained in touch,” he said.
“After the recent incident, people who know about our association are asking me about Smit. I tell them that he was normal and well behaved. Yes, living up to his name, Smit, he was always smiling.”
“What happened in that cockpit was something no pilot expects to face. Smit was confronted with a situation that demanded courage and presence of mind. He acted to protect the safety of the aircraft and everyone on board,” Chikte said.
Had the situation not been brought under control, the consequences could have been catastrophic and the loss of 174 lives would have been an unimaginable tragedy, he said.
“That could have led to serious consequences for India, Indian aviation and Indian pilots, in addition to wider socio-political and diplomatic fallout,” he said.
“I spoke to his brother, who is also a pilot. He assured me that Smit is recovering well. I am keen to see my young friend back in the skies again,” Chikte said.
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) describes the “startle effect” as the automatic physiological response to a sudden, intense and unexpected event. It can temporarily affect a pilot’s ability to think and process information, he said.
“Imagine the shock that Smit must have experienced. Add physical injury to that, and the situation becomes even more extraordinary. Yet he overcame all that and acted to protect the aircraft and the passengers,” Chikte said.
“What Smit did was beyond the call of duty of a commercial pilot. I am sure the government will consider him for a bravery award. I look forward to clapping and cheering when he gets one,” he said.
