Gujarat Announces ‘Vishisht Gujarat Garima Award’ for Flydubai Hero Captain Smit Machchhar
The Gujarat government is set to honour Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar with the prestigious ‘Vishisht Gujarat Garima Award’ for his extraordinary bravery and presence of mind during the life-threatening attack aboard a Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv.
The state government, led by Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, announced on Thursday that Captain Machchhar would receive the honour in recognition of his exceptional courage, presence of mind and determination to protect the passengers despite being attacked inside the cockpit.
Gujarat Government Announces Major Honour
In a statement, the Gujarat government said Captain Machchhar had demonstrated an extraordinary example of duty and humanity by putting his own life at risk while dealing with the emergency at thousands of feet above the ground.
The government said his exceptional courage and quick thinking had made Gujarat, as well as the country, proud. It said the ‘Vishisht Gujarat Garima Award’ would be presented to him as a tribute to his bravery.
Prayers for Captain's Recovery
Meanwhile, special prayers are being offered at the Somnath Temple for Captain Machchhar's good health and long life. Continuous chanting of the Mahamrityunjaya Mantra is also being conducted for his recovery.
Captain Machchhar sustained serious injuries during the alleged attack by the co-pilot. Despite being badly wounded, he continued to act decisively during the crisis and helped prevent a potentially disastrous outcome.
Terrifying Attack Inside the Cockpit
The incident took place while Flydubai flight FZ1073 was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv. During the flight, the Omani co-pilot allegedly attacked Captain Machchhar with a knife inside the cockpit.
According to the account, the co-pilot allegedly intended to crash the aircraft. Captain Machchhar was seriously injured and was left bleeding following the sudden attack.
Despite the situation, the captain did not lose his composure. He prevented the attacker from taking control of the aircraft and managed to deal with the crisis until the crew and passengers could intervene.
The aircraft was subsequently diverted and landed safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. ALSO READ: Rs.3,000 Crore Drug Bust in Arabian Sea: Coast Guard, Gujarat ATS Seize 526 Kg Narcotics, 5 Pakistani Nationals Arrested
