Among those who saved the Flydubai flight to Israel were an Indian hero pilot, a plumber, and a dentist.

While drenched in blood and laying on the floor of the Flydubai flight deck, Smit Machchhar was able to click the release to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers and crew to enter, defeat his assailant, and save 174 passengers. The plane was flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv when Machchhar’s fellow pilot stabbed him moments earlier. The plane landed safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, and Machchhar, who is from Mumbai, is being treated in a hospital there.

Early on Thursday, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised Machchhar as a hero in a post on X. “In the face of the gravest danger and despite being seriously ‌injured, he showed immense courage and an unwavering resolve to protect the lives of others. His valour helped save hundreds of lives and avert a great tragedy,” he wrote.

The Israeli prime minister, Netanyahu, was equally impressed with Machchhar’s actions. “Despite being stabbed and seriously injured, he fought back, resisted, opened the cockpit door and enabled passengers and crew to overpower the attacker,” he said.

According to Israeli officials, who also gave most of the information on what transpired within the aircraft, Machchhar is one of several individuals praised as heroes for successfully regaining control of the aircraft from the attacker who reportedly tried to crash it. After a scuffle, Machchhar was stabbed by his colleague pilot, who was apparently an Omani national. This caused the aircraft to plunge approximately 14,000 feet (4,300 meters) in less than 30 seconds.

Soon after, a number of passengers were able to enter the cockpit to assist in neutralizing the assailant. Dr Shota Musaev, a dentist, was also among those who ran to the cockpit. He told they found the attacker on the floor on top of the pilot, stabbing him. He then rushed to help Machchhar, “terrified” he was going to die.

“He was covered in cuts – his head, his hands – they were practically sliced open, almost severed in two … he had lost a lot of blood and was in bad shape. “I think that if we had waited even a few more moments, we would have lost him. His blood pressure had plummeted, he suddenly lost consciousness, and there was blood everywhere,” he said.

Musaev claimed that by tying the assailant up with plastic zip-ties and headphones, he had also assisted in subduing him. After that, other crew members stabilized the plane’s fall and made a safe landing. Almog Itali, a passenger, claimed that the jet was carrying two relief pilots who were scheduled to fly the next flight, and that one of the people who interfered was an off-duty British pilot.

“The relief pilots are European, one of them British, who entered [the cockpit] and pulled the aircraft up, pulled the yoke, stabilised the plane and landed us in Saudi Arabia,” Itali said in a clip posted by the BBC. Other reports suggested the off-duty pilots were from South Africa or New Zealand.

Machchhar had surgery in Saudi Arabia and was in a stable condition, according to Indian officials. They claimed to have communicated with his wife and two kids, ages two and seven. Machchhar’s parents still reside in the Mumbai neighborhood where he was born, and his neighbors expressed their admiration in his bravery.

Janit Shah, a neighbour who has known Machchhar for years, said: “We were initially very concerned when we heard about the incident. We know him as a very jubilant and kind person. It is incredible to hear about his brave act. Another neighbour, who said she was a friend of Machchhar’s mother but asked not to be named, described the pilot as a warm and active member of the community. “We are elated with joy and so proud of him,” she said.

Steve Arroyo, a former United Airlines pilot and aviation safety expert, said: “That was a serious descent and strong aerodynamic forces on that rudder for that to happen. I’m just amazed the aircraft didn’t come apart.”

Jeff Guzzetti, another aviation expert, said: “What saved them is there was enough altitude left for them to recover.” It may not have been possible for the plane to level out if it had fallen below 10,000 feet, he said.

All of the passengers were undoubtedly spared by Machchhar’s ability to open the cockpit door. After being attacked, the pilot demonstrated leadership, according to Philip Kean, CEO of Mainland Air in New Zealand, where Machchhar trained for eighteen months in 2008 and 2009. Speaking on a podcast last year, Machchhar stated that he had not planned to become a pilot and had first trained to work in his family’s textile company before discovering an aviation seminar at the age of 19. “In a sense, that’s when the aircraft bug hit me,” he remarked.