Smit Machchhar and Neerja Bhanot: When aviation heroes put safety of passengers above their own
PTC News Desk: Smit Machchhar faced a life-threatening situation on Wednesday while flying flydubai Flight FZ1073. The aircraft was carrying 174 people when a violent fight broke out between Machchhar and his co-pilot inside the cockpit. Machchhar survived and was taken to hospital after the plane landed safely in Saudi Arabia.
His actions have drawn comparisons with Neerja Bhanot, who showed extraordinary courage during the 1986 hijacking of Pan Am Flight 73.
Also Read: Who is Indian pilot Smit Machchhar? Flydubai Captain who helped save 174 lives
On September 5, 1986, Bhanot was the senior flight purser on Pan Am Flight 73, which had landed in Karachi while travelling from Mumbai to Frankfurt and New York. Four armed men hijacked the Boeing 747, leading to a 17-hour crisis involving hundreds of passengers and crew.
Bhanot quickly understood what was happening and alerted the pilots using the hijack warning code. This allowed the pilots to escape through the cockpit hatch and prevented the hijackers from taking control of the aircraft. She then took charge of helping the passengers and crew.
During the rescue, Bhanot was shot while trying to protect three children from the attackers. She died just two days before her 23rd birthday. In 1987, she was posthumously awarded the Ashoka Chakra, becoming the youngest and first woman to receive India's highest peacetime gallantry award.
Machchhar also showed courage despite being seriously injured. He managed to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers and crew members to enter and restrain the attacker. The aircraft was diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, where Machchhar was taken to hospital. All passengers survived.
Although the two incidents happened nearly four decades apart, both involved Indian aviation professionals facing extreme danger and putting the safety of passengers ahead of their own.
- PTC NEWS
