Sporting visible scars, hero flydubai pilot honored by president of UAE

Flydubai pilot Smit Machchhar, who thwarted a terror attack on a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv last month, was awarded the First Class Order of Zayed II by UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The president praised the crew's courage and professionalism. Machchhar was attacked with an emergency axe by his co-pilot during the September 30 incident.

Flydubai pilot Smit Machchhar, who helped thwart a terror attack aboard a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv a month ago, was honored with a medal by the president of the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday. UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan awarded Machchhar and the rest of the crew with the First Class Order of Zayed II, in recognition of their courageous efforts to ensure the safety of passengers. The scars on the back of Machchhar's head were clearly visible during the meeting. Machchhar was struck in the back of the head with an emergency axe by his co-pilot, Omani national Hamam al-Hammami, and struggled to shield himself from the blows. During the September 30 incident, the airliner plunged 16,000 feet in 30 seconds. Two off-duty pilots helped regain control and made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia. The president was heard asking Machchhar how long his arm, in a cast, was expected to take to heal, and joked about a jiu-jitsu session once he recovers. Machchhar has also been lauded by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.