From Tilak Nagar to the Cockpit: Chembur’s Smit Machchhar Makes Headlines
A pilot from Tilak Nagar, Chembur has suddenly found himself at the centre of an extraordinary aviation story being followed around the world.
Captain Smit Machchhar, who is associated with Swastik Heights in Tilak Nagar, was flying flydubai flight FZ1073 from the UAE to Tel Aviv on Wednesday when he was attacked by his co-pilot inside the cockpit.
According to reports, the aircraft, carrying 174 passengers, plunged almost 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds during the incident. Despite being seriously injured, Machchhar managed to respond to the situation, with the aircraft eventually making an emergency landing at Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
What has made the story particularly personal for Chembur is the reaction back home.
On Thursday, hundreds of people gathered outside his Tilak Nagar residence, carrying the Tricolour and photographs of the captain, while neighbours and childhood friends spoke about the person they had known long before the world knew his name.
One childhood friend recalled playing cricket with Smit growing up, while neighbours described him as dedicated to aviation and expressed concern for his recovery.
For a neighbourhood accustomed to seeing its own residents go about their everyday lives, this has become an extraordinary moment of local pride.
From the lanes of Tilak Nagar to the cockpit of an international flight, Chembur is watching one of its own make headlines around the world.