Kataka: Indians are basking in the show of bravery and courage by Captain Smit Machchhar who saved 174 lives, mostly Israelis, by holding off his co-pilot who stabbed him and wanted to crash the Tel Aviv-bound flydubai flight.
Odisha’s reputed sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik paid his tribute with a special creation at Puri beach, wishing him a speedy recovery.
He eked out an image of Captain Machchhar beside a flydubai aircraft, which came under attack mid-air from the co-pilot, and a message in the sand saying, “Salute to Captain Smit Machchhar – Get Well Soon!”
In a post on X, Pattnaik shared his superb sand work and wrote: “We salute Captain Smit Machchhar for his extraordinary bravery, sacrifice and unwavering resolve to protect others. Praying for his speedy recovery, strength and good health. His extraordinary bravery has touched hearts across the world, from India and Israel to the UAE.”
A heartfelt salute to Captain Smit Machchhar for his exceptional courage, selfless sacrifice, and unwavering resolve to protect the lives of others. 🙏
Praying for his speedy recovery, renewed strength, and good health.
His extraordinary bravery has touched hearts across the… pic.twitter.com/fWZAx0ZiYD
— Sudarsan Pattnaik (@sudarsansand) October 2, 2026
Pattnaik spoke about his sand art to ANI.
“We have created this sand sculpture to salute the Captain. Through our sand art, we are paying tribute to him and praying to God for his speedy recovery. The entire world is saluting him today for the way he risked his own life to save the lives of others. There isn’t a corner of the globe where he isn’t being saluted or praised. As Indians, we certainly feel proud; not just us, but Indians everywhere feel immense pride today because he put his own life on the line to save others. As artists, we salute him through our art and pray to God for his quick recovery.”
Also Read: PM Modi Calls Up Capt Machchhar; Praises Him For Bravery
Flight FZ 1073 was travelling from Dubai International Airport to Ben Gurion International Airport on Wednesday morning when an altercation broke out on the flight deck. The co-pilot, said to be an Omani national, allegedly tried to sabotage the plane’s system and tried to crash it. As Captain Machchhar tried to stop him, he was stabbed.
The Indian pilot still fought on and managed to open the door of the cockpit, letting others know what was going on.
The co-pilot was ultimately overpowered, and the plane made an emergency landing at Tabuk airport in Saudi Arabia.