Captain Smit Machchhar, the Flydubai pilot at the centre of a Dubai–Tel Aviv flight incident, has emerged as a hero and role model. According to the report, although his co-pilot injured him, he bravely helped save people from the incident. However, his surname Machchhar (which means mosquito in Hindi and Gujarati) has piqued people’s curiosity.
While Captain Smit Machchhar's surname has generated jokes and memes, the story is far more meaningful than its literal interpretation. The traditions associated with Gujarati naming include surnames derived from animals, character names, places, nicknames and funny incidents.
Various communities, including Nagar Brahmins and Lohanas, have used animal names as surnames, like Hathi (elephant), Ghoda (horse), and Popat (parrot). The surname Machchhar also holds a special meaning. Various theories have been put forth. Some scholars link the surname Machchhar to the matsar surname, which is related to envy.
The other theory is that the surname emerged in regions that were home to an unusually high number of mosquitoes. There is an additional dimension to the name. According to reports, in the Gujarati language, the term 'Machchhar' also connotes 'vigour.'
The genealogy of such surnames cannot be simplified easily. Gujarati Atakono Itihas, written by Professor Vinodini Nilkanth in 1942, explains the concept of teasing nicknames which can be transformed into family names. Captain Smit Machchhar's surname can also be found in Pakistan. The Machhar colony in Karachi is connected to the fisherman community.
Captain Smit Machchhar is a commercial pilot from India. He joined flydubai in June 2022 as a captain after almost 11 years with SpiceJet. Smit was piloting flight FZ1073 of flydubai from Dubai to Tel Aviv with 174 passengers on board when his co-pilot from Oman reportedly stabbed him in the cockpit.
The Boeing 737 MAX 8 fell almost 14,000 feet within less than 30 seconds. Though severely injured, Smit was able to unlock the cockpit door and let the passengers overpower the co-pilot. Two more pilots on board gained control of the plane and made a safe landing.
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