A Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv was forced to make an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia after the co-pilot allegedly stabbed the captain and the aircraft suddenly plunged thousands of feet.
The incident aboard Flight FZ1073 unfolded on Wednesday while the Boeing 737 MAX 8 was traveling toward Israel with 174 passengers, including 27 children, on board.
Israeli officials said the co-pilot attempted to hijack and crash the aircraft, describing the incident as an attempted terrorist attack. Flydubai, however, has said the motive and circumstances remain under investigation.
The captain was reportedly injured during a confrontation inside the cockpit but managed to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers to intervene. Several passengers then entered, fought with and eventually restrained the co-pilot.
Flight-tracking data showed the aircraft losing more than 13,000 feet of altitude in less than a minute during the incident.
Two off-duty Flydubai pilots who happened to be traveling as passengers then took control of the aircraft and diverted it to Tabuk in Saudi Arabia, where it landed safely. All passengers were accounted for following the emergency landing.
Passengers Describe Fight to Regain Control of Flydubai Plane
Passengers later described the chaotic moments leading up to the intervention.
One of those who became involved, Zika Manes, told Israel’s Channel 12 that his wife had taken their young daughter to a toilet near the front of the aircraft when she heard shouting and sounds of a struggle coming from the cockpit.
According to Manes, the injured captain managed to open the cockpit door before collapsing. Three passengers then confronted the co-pilot as the aircraft was descending rapidly.
🚨 ATTEMPTED PLANE HIJACK & CRASH
Flydubai FZ1073, Dubai to Tel Aviv.
Co-pilot from Oman (moslem country where islam is the official state religion) stabbed Emirati captain.
Plane plunged 17,000 ft and sent a hijack code.
Passengers and extra crew subdued him leading to a… https://t.co/meKr0HKRMW
— Radical Eyes (@RadicalEyesUK) September 30, 2026
Another passenger, identified as Yaniv, said he grabbed the aircraft’s controls and pulled back on the yoke in an effort to stop the descent before the qualified pilots traveling aboard the flight were able to take over.
In an unusual detail, Yaniv later said while recounting the incident that his only aviation “experience” had come from watching Mayday, the television documentary series about air disasters.
The passengers said the struggle to fully restrain the alleged attacker lasted around 20 minutes. They used wired earphones to help bind him, while a doctor traveling on the aircraft provided assistance to the wounded captain.
Off-Duty Flydubai Pilots Take Control
A crucial factor in the safe landing was the presence of another pair of Flydubai pilots who were traveling aboard the aircraft but were not operating the flight.
After the co-pilot was restrained, the additional pilots entered the cockpit and assumed control of the aircraft. They subsequently diverted the flight to Tabuk.
The captain who was stabbed has been identified in reports as Smit Machchhar, an Indian pilot based in Dubai. He was taken for medical treatment following the landing.
Israeli fighter jets were also scrambled as authorities responded to emergency signals from the aircraft amid initial fears of a possible hijacking.
Passengers Return to Israel
The passengers remained in Saudi Arabia following the emergency landing before continuing their journey aboard a replacement Flydubai aircraft.
They eventually arrived at Ben Gurion Airport more than 10 hours after the incident, where Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met some of those involved and heard their accounts.
Israeli PM meets the man who saved another 9/11 styled Hijack of plane flying from Dubai to Israel.
— Dear Men (@DearMenLife) September 30, 2026
Manes described the experience as terrifying, recalling his children crying and saying they did not want to die as the aircraft suddenly lost altitude.
Israeli officials have characterized the incident as an attempted terrorist attack and said the actions of passengers and crew prevented a potential disaster.
However, the precise motive has not yet been independently established. Flydubai has urged against speculation while the incident is investigated and said the reasons behind what happened remained unknown.
Authorities are investigating the cockpit confrontation, including why the captain was attacked and whether the co-pilot deliberately attempted to bring down the aircraft.
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