US Congressman Josh Gottheimer has introduced a resolution in the House of Representatives honouring Indian pilot Smit Machchhar for his actions during an alleged cockpit attack aboard flydubai flight 1073.
The Democratic Congressman from New Jersey also commended the off-duty pilots, cabin crew and passengers who helped secure the cockpit and ensure the aircraft landed safely.
The resolution, introduced on Monday, condemns the incident as an act of terrorism and an attack on the safety of international civil aviation.
It also calls for a full and expeditious investigation by the governments of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, while urging that the United States and Israel be kept fully informed.
Machchhar was reportedly attacked by his co-pilot while the flight was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv on Wednesday.
The co-pilot, identified in reports as Omani national Hamam al-Hammami, allegedly attempted to take control of the aircraft.
Reports by multiple outlets, including the Wall Street Journal and CNN, said al-Hammami had previously been barred from flying in Oman over concerns about his radical ideological views.
He allegedly attacked Machchhar with a crash axe kept in the cockpit for emergencies, seriously injuring the Indian pilot. The motive remains unclear.
The aircraft was carrying 174 passengers when it transmitted emergency signals and rapidly descended more than 17,000 feet from an altitude of 34,000 feet.
Machchhar, despite being injured and lying on the cockpit floor, realised that the aircraft was descending and managed to push open the cockpit door.
This allowed passengers to enter the cockpit and overpower the alleged attacker.
Two reserve pilots then took control and landed the aircraft safely at Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Airport in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
Al-Hammami was taken into custody, while Machchhar was taken to a nearby hospital before being airlifted to Abu Dhabi.
