Passengers on a Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv foiled an apparent hijacking when a co-pilot stabbed the captain and sent the jet plunging nearly 14,000 feet. The aircraft diverted safely to Saudi Arabia, and Israeli officials confirmed all passengers later arrived safely in Tel Aviv.
The Cockpit Struggle and 14,000-Foot Plunge
Flight FZ1073 was about two hours into its journey from Dubai to Tel Aviv on Wednesday when what passengers initially thought was turbulence turned out to be a violent struggle in the flight deck. According to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, one of the pilots stabbed his counterpart and attempted to crash the Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft with everyone on board.
Flight tracking data from Flightradar24 showed the jet descended more than 14,000 feet in under 30 seconds in a rapid and abnormal dive. Passenger Ron Levi described the motion as much worse than a free-fall,
noting that the aircraft turned sideways and pitched up and down in various directions for a prolonged period while families held hands and braced for the worst.
Despite sustaining serious injuries, the attacked pilot, identified by Israeli and Indian officials as Captain Smit Machchhar, managed to crawl across the floor while bleeding heavily and hit the release button to open the cockpit door. Passengers and crew members rushed forward, overpowered the co-pilot, and neutralized the attacker while he was attempting to sabotage the aircraft’s control systems.
Emergency Landing in Saudi Arabia and Safe Return to Tel Aviv
With the primary crew incapacitated or defending the flight deck, a second pair of Flydubai pilots who happened to be on board took over controls and guided the crippled plane to an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. Passengers noted that one of the off-duty pilots who stepped in to stabilize the aircraft was a British citizen.
Saudi authorities arrested the suspected co-pilot and began questioning him regarding the incident. Israel’s ambulance service transported a 51-year-old man to a hospital for upper-body injuries, where he was listed in mild condition. The United Arab Emirates’ civil aviation authority announced it launched an investigation into the causes and circumstances of the incident,
More than ten hours after the diversion, the passengers arrived at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv aboard a Flydubai replacement aircraft.
Political Repercussions and Regional Security Concerns
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz initially described the event as an attempted jihadist terrorist attack.
Prime Minister Netanyahu praised Captain Machchhar as a true hero, noting that his resistance saved the lives of 174 people on board, which included Israeli citizens and other nationalities.
US President Donald Trump spoke at length with Netanyahu about the incident, while Israeli officials ordered tighter security checks on pilots flying into the country.
