WASHINGTON, Oct 7: US Congressman Josh Gottheimer has introduced a resolution in the House of Representatives honouring Indian pilot Smit Machchhar for his extraordinary courage in protecting passengers aboard flydubai Flight 1073.
Gottheimer, a Democratic Congressman from New Jersey, praised Machchhar for his actions after an alleged attempt to take control of the aircraft during its journey from Dubai to Tel Aviv.
The resolution also commended the bravery of off-duty pilots, cabin crew members and passengers who helped secure the cockpit and ensured the aircraft landed safely.
Introduced on Monday, the resolution condemns the incident involving flydubai Flight 1073 as an alleged act of terrorism and an attack on the safety of international civil aviation.
It also calls for a full and speedy investigation by the governments of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, while urging that the United States and Israel be kept fully informed about the findings.
According to reports, Captain Machchhar was attacked by his co-pilot while the aircraft was in flight. The alleged attacker, identified in media reports as Omani national Hamam al-Hammami, reportedly attempted to take control of the aircraft after attacking Machchhar in the cockpit.
Reports said Machchhar was struck with a crash axe kept in the cockpit for emergency situations and suffered serious injuries. The motive behind the alleged attack remains under investigation.
The flight, carrying 174 passengers, reportedly sent emergency signals and made a rapid descent of more than 17,000 feet from an altitude of around 34,000 feet.
Despite being seriously injured, Machchhar realised that the aircraft was descending and managed to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers and others to intervene and overpower the alleged attacker.
Two reserve pilots subsequently took control of the aircraft and safely landed it at Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Airport in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
The alleged attacker was taken into custody, while Machchhar was initially taken to a nearby hospital before being airlifted to Abu Dhabi for further treatment.
The US resolution recognises Machchhar’s actions as an example of exceptional courage and highlights the importance of protecting the safety of international civil aviation.
