US House honours pilot Smit Machchhar for averting flydubai flight attack
A resolution commends the Indian pilot and others for their actions during an alleged hijacking attempt.
AI-assisted coverage comparison, editor-supervised · How this was made
US Congressman Josh Gottheimer has introduced a House resolution honouring Indian pilot Smit Machchhar for his courage during the alleged cockpit attack on flydubai Flight FZ1073.
Photograph: The Economic Times (embedded from source)
What this story says
- US Congressman Josh Gottheimer introduced a resolution in the House of Representatives honouring Indian pilot Smit Machchhar.
- The resolution addresses an incident on flydubai Flight FZ1073, describing it as an act of terrorism and an attack on international aviation safety.
- Machchhar was seriously injured during the alleged attack, which caused the aircraft to descend more than 17,000 feet.
- Two reserve pilots landed the aircraft safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, after which the co-pilot was taken into custody.
Who covered it
Percentages are shares of the 9 outlets carrying a published leaning rating. 10 of the 19 outlets we know ran this story carry no rating and are not counted in them. Coverage measured .
Trust
70/100
Craft
70/100
Hype
20/100
19 sources · methodology
Thin on the left so far
None of the 9 outlets with a published leaning rating that ran this story are rated left.
This story is still being watched, so it is a count and not yet a finding. Coverage keeps arriving for hours after an event, and a side that has published nothing this morning may publish by tonight. If it is still true when we stop checking, we will say so plainly.
A resolution was introduced in the US House of Representatives to honour Indian pilot Smit Machchhar for his actions during an incident on flydubai Flight FZ1073. The resolution, introduced by Congressman Josh Gottheimer, describes the event as an act of terrorism and an attack on the safety of international civil aviation. The flight was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv.
During the flight, Machchhar was allegedly attacked by his co-pilot, identified as Omani national Hamam al-Hammami. Machchhar sustained serious injuries, and the aircraft descended more than 17,000 feet from an altitude of about 34,000 feet. The resolution states that Machchhar managed to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers and off-duty pilots to help overpower the attacker.
Two reserve pilots then took control of the aircraft and landed it safely at Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Airport in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. Al-Hammami was taken into custody following the landing. Machchhar was taken to a hospital and later airlifted to Abu Dhabi for further treatment.
Disagreement on resolution introduction date
Latestly and Tribune India report that the resolution was introduced on October 5. The Economic Times and CNBC-TV18 state the resolution was introduced on Monday, without specifying the date. Social News XYZ and PressNewsAgency state October 6.
What the coverage left out
None of the left-rated reports mentioned the incident. The right-rated reports did not include details about the specific altitude from which the aircraft descended, nor did they mention the involvement of specific off-duty pilots, cabin crew, and passengers in overpowering the attacker, as detailed in the centre-rated report.
Still developing. We have re-checked which outlets are covering this 3 times, most recently on 6 Oct 2026, 18:30, and will add the sides that appear.
How other outlets pictured it
Which photograph to run is each newsroom’s own choice. The leaning beside a name is that outlet’s published rating, not a claim that the pictures divide along it. Every picture is shown from the outlet’s own server and links to the article it ran in.
US lawmaker introduces House resolution honouring Indian pilot Smit Machchhar
CNBC-TV18 — embedded from source
US House introduces resolution honouring Indian flydubai pilot Smit Machchhar, condemns 'act of terrorism'
Times of India — embedded from source
How each side covered it
Our own reading of the reporting listed below, written from the outlets’ articles rather than quoted from them. The reasoning is set out on our methodology page.
Left
0 rated outlets
No outlet rated left has run this story so far. We are still checking, and will say plainly if that does not change.
Centre
2 rated outlets
- The Economic Times led on the US House resolution honouring Indian pilot Smit Machchhar for foiling a flydubai cockpit attack. Its report detailed Machchhar's injuries and the subsequent safe landing of the aircraft. It noted the co-pilot was identified as Omani national Hamam al-Hammami and mentioned reports of his prior grounding over radical ideological views. The report also stated that the resolution called for investigations by Saudi Arabia and the UAE, and for the US and Israel to be kept informed.
Right
7 rated outlets
- Reports from the right-rated outlets focused on the US House resolution honouring Indian pilot Smit Machchhar for thwarting an attempted terror attack on flydubai Flight 1073. These reports highlighted Machchhar's courage and the condemnation of the incident as an act of terrorism. Several outlets identified the co-pilot as Omani national Hamam al-Hammami and mentioned reports citing his radical ideological views as a reason for being barred from flying in Oman. The safe landing of the aircraft by reserve pilots and the subsequent custody of al-Hammami were also noted. Some reports mentioned that the resolution has been referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
Questions about this coverage
- How did the left and right cover US House honours pilot Smit Machchhar for averting flydubai flight…?
- Of the 9 outlets on this story carrying a published leaning rating, 0% are rated left, 22% are rated centre, 78% are rated right. Those percentages are shares of the rated outlets, not of every outlet that ran it, which was 19. The sections above set out what each side emphasised, in its own terms.
- Is US House honours pilot Smit Machchhar for averting flydubai flight… left or right?
- Too few of the outlets on this story carry a published leaning rating to say. 9 of them do, and this site does not characterise a field under 12: at that size one newsroom filing moves the share by ten points. The percentages above are the count as it stands.
- Is the coverage of US House honours pilot Smit Machchhar for averting flydubai flight… biased?
- US House honours pilot Smit Machchhar for averting flydubai flight attack is one event reported by 19 outlets, and this page does not rate the story as biased or unbiased. What it publishes is the spread: which outlets ran it, where named rating organisations place each of them on the spectrum, and what each side chose to lead with. A leaning rating describes an outlet's record over time, not this article, and the two should not be run together.
- Which side is not reporting US House honours pilot Smit Machchhar for averting flydubai flight…?
- When we first saw this story, outlets rated left had barely covered it. Coverage accretes for hours after an event, so that is where to look rather than a verdict — the split above is the current count, and it is the one to read.
- Which outlets covered US House honours pilot Smit Machchhar for averting flydubai flight…?
- 19 that we know of, every one of them listed further up this page with a link to its own report and to what we hold on the publisher. Nothing here is a summary of somebody else's summary: the outlets are named so the original reporting can be read.
- What was the incident involving flydubai Flight FZ1073?
- The incident involved an alleged attempt by the co-pilot, Hamam al-Hammami, to take control of the aircraft. Pilot Smit Machchhar was seriously injured while trying to prevent this. The aircraft descended rapidly before reserve pilots landed it safely.
- What is the significance of the US House resolution?
- The resolution honours Indian pilot Smit Machchhar for his actions and condemns the incident as an act of terrorism and an attack on international aviation safety. It also commends the efforts of the crew and passengers.
- What happened to the co-pilot and the injured pilot?
- The co-pilot, Hamam al-Hammami, was taken into custody after the aircraft landed. Pilot Smit Machchhar, who was seriously injured, received hospital treatment and was later airlifted to Abu Dhabi.
Read it at the source
19 outlets, grouped by the leaning a published rating gives them. Every headline links to the original; an underlined outlet name opens our profile of that publisher.
Left
0No outlet in this group ran the story.
Centre
2- US House honours ‘extraordinary courage’ of Smit Machchhar after flydubai attack (opens Hindustan Times in a new tab)
Hindustan Times — is Hindustan Times biased? Our profile of this outlet
- US House resolution honours Indian pilot Smit Machchhar for foiling flydubai cockpit attack (opens The Economic Times in a new tab)
The Economic Times — is The Economic Times biased? Our profile of this outlet
Right
7- US House Bill Honours Indian Pilot Smit Machchhar for Thwarting Attempted Terror Attack on Flydubai Flight (opens Latestly in a new tab)
- US House introduces resolution honouring Indian pilot Smit Machchhar, condemns 'act of terrorism' (opens India TV News in a new tab)
India TV News — is India TV News biased? Our profile of this outlet
- US House bill honours Indian pilot Smit Machchhar for thwarting attempted terror attack on flydubai flight - The Tribune (opens Tribune India in a new tab)
Tribune India — is Tribune India biased? Our profile of this outlet
- US Congress moves to honour Indian pilot Smit Machchhar who foiled flydubai attack (opens India Today in a new tab)
India Today — is India Today biased? Our profile of this outlet
- US lawmaker introduces House resolution honouring Indian pilot Smit Machchhar (opens CNBC-TV18 in a new tab)
- US House passes resolution honouring Indian flydubai pilot Smit Machchhar, condemns 'act of terrorism' (opens Times of India in a new tab)
Times of India — is Times of India biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Bipartisan House resolution honors pilot, passengers who stopped FlyDubai hijacking (opens Jewish Insider in a new tab)
Jewish Insider — is Jewish Insider biased? Our profile of this outlet
Not rated
10- US Congress Passes Resolution Honoring Captain Machhar, Praising Him for Preventing Terrorist Attacks (opens News Nation in a new tab)
News Nation — is News Nation biased? Our profile of this outlet
- US Congress Honors Indian Pilot Smith Machar; Passes Resolution Condemning Plane Hijack Attempt (opens TV9 Kannada in a new tab)
TV9 Kannada — is TV9 Kannada biased? Our profile of this outlet
- US House Introduces Resolution Honoring Captain Smith Machhar, Praising Him for Extraordinary Courage - India TV Hindi (opens India TV Hindi Hindi in a new tab)
India TV Hindi Hindi — is India TV Hindi Hindi biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Indian Pilot Smit Honored in America for His Presence of Mind During the Terrorist Attack; Resolution Presented in the House of Representatives (opens Amar Ujala in a new tab)
Amar Ujala — is Amar Ujala biased? Our profile of this outlet
- ‘Extraordinary courage’: US lawmaker introduces House resolution honouring pilot Smit Machchhar (opens Mathrubhumi in a new tab)
Mathrubhumi — is Mathrubhumi biased? Our profile of this outlet
- US House resolution honours brave Indian pilot Capt Machchhar (opens bhaskarlive.in in a new tab)
bhaskarlive.in — is bhaskarlive.in biased? Our profile of this outlet
- US Congress Moves to Honour Pilot Smit Machchhar for Averting Flydubai Attack (opens The CSR Journal in a new tab)
The CSR Journal — is The CSR Journal biased? Our profile of this outlet
- US Lawmakers Introduce Resolution Honouring Indian Pilot Smit Machchhar for Foiling Flydubai Terror Attack (opens KalingaTV in a new tab)
Show 2 more
- US House resolution honours brave Indian pilot Capt Machchhar (opens Social News XYZ in a new tab)
Social News XYZ — is Social News XYZ biased? Our profile of this outlet
- US House passes resolution honouring Indian flydubai pilot Smit Machchhar, condemns ‘act of terrorism’ (opens PressNewsAgency in a new tab)
PressNewsAgency — is PressNewsAgency biased? Our profile of this outlet
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