A Flydubai commercial flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv suffered a mid-air emergency on Wednesday when one pilot allegedly stabbed his co-pilot and tried to crash the aircraft. The Boeing 737 plummeted rapidly before passengers and crew subdued the attacker and landed safely in Saudi Arabia.
Mid-Air Emergency and Rapid Descent Over the Middle East
Flight FZ 1073 departed Dubai carrying 174 people on board, heading for Tel Aviv, Israel. Roughly two and a half hours into the journey, while the Boeing 737 was flying over Jordan, an internal cockpit altercation erupted between the captain and first officer. According to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, one pilot stabbed the other and appeared to attempt to bring the aircraft down.
Flight data from Flightradar24 shows the aircraft plunged dramatically, dropping more than 14,125 feet in just 29 seconds. Passengers described scenes of terror as the cabin shook violently and the plane dived toward the ground. One 17-year-old student on board recalled hearing screaming about stabbings after initially assuming the violent shaking was a mechanical malfunction. As the plane transmitted multiple distress signals—including one indicating unlawful interference—Israeli officials scrambled fighter jets out of concern for a possible hijacking.
Passengers and Crew Breach the Cockpit to Subdue the Attacker
With standard cockpit doors locked during flight under post-9/11 security protocols, the injured captain managed to open the flight deck door from the inside. That critical action allowed a crew member and passengers to rush inside and overpower the attacker.
Yaniv Hayun, who was later photographed at Ben Gurion Airport still wearing his blood-stained T-shirt, joined three other passengers in securing the cockpit. Israeli leaders praised the stabbed captain, identified as Indian national Captain Smit Machchhar, and the intervention of the passengers for preventing a catastrophic disaster. Both pilots sustained injuries requiring hospital treatment after the aircraft diverted and landed safely at Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
Investigation Into Motives and Terror Suspicions
Authorities in Saudi Arabia took the suspect into custody while investigators launched a formal inquiry into the incident. According to Israeli and U.S. officials briefed on the matter, the pilot who carried out the stabbing is believed to be a citizen of Oman.
Senior officials from both the United States and Israel indicated that early investigation results suggest the attack increasingly looks like an act of terrorism, though no group or country has claimed responsibility.
Suspension of Flydubai Routes and Safe Return of Passengers
In the wake of the emergency, Flydubai announced an immediate temporary suspension of all flights to and from Israel. The airline stated that the pause will give relevant authorities time to establish the full facts surrounding the cockpit attack.
Passengers aboard the diverted flight were later transferred on a rescue flight to Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport, where they were met by family members and government officials. Captain Machchhar remained in stable condition at a hospital in Saudi Arabia, monitored by the Indian Embassy in Riyadh, while diplomatic channels between the United Arab Emirates and Israel remained active.