Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar is being hailed as a hero after reportedly fighting off an alleged cockpit attack and helping save 174 people aboard a flydubai flight. Machchhar was reportedly stabbed by his Omani co-pilot during the Dubai-Tel Aviv flight. Despite being injured and covered in blood, the Indian captain managed to activate the cockpit door release, allowing passengers and crew to enter and overpower the alleged attacker. Investigators are examining whether an aircraft crash axe, rather than a smuggled knife, was used in the attack.  

A deadly plane crash in the Democratic Republic of Congo has claimed the lives of 14 people, including two senior military justice officials, after a small aircraft went down in Kenge, Kwango province, on September 25. The aircraft was reportedly returning from Kikwit to Kinshasa when it encountered trouble in flight and crashed while an emergency landing was apparently being attempted. The aircraft crashed in Kenge's Manzawu area and caught fire after impact. Initial reports said there were no casualties reported on the ground. The FARDC has launched an investigation to establish the exact circumstances and cause of the crash, meaning reports of a technical failure remain part of the preliminary account and have not been confirmed as the definitive cause. WATCH