A plane carrying passengers from the rerouted Flydubai flight landed at Tel Aviv airport on Wednesday (Sep 30). The flight FZ 1073 was forced to make an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia after one of the pilots attempted to hijack the plane with the intention of crashing it. Israeli leaders have described the incident as an attempted “terrorist” attack. The passengers departed from Tabuk on a second aircraft, also operated by Fludubai, and landed on the tarmac of Ben Gurion Airport at 1534 GMT. Reportedly, Saudi Arabia had turned down a request from Israeli authorities to allow their planes to pick up Israeli passengers from the flight.<h2>What happened on Flydubai flight?</h2>According to the passengers’ account, an altercation broke out between the pilots, which turned violent. One of the pilots stabbed his co-pilot in the cockpit and attempted to crash the plane with the intention of killing everyone on board. During the altercation, the plane suddenly plunged several feet, from nearly 34,000 feet to less than 17,000 feet. Passengers intervened and took control of the pilot.Smit Machchhar, an Indian captain, has been identified as the pilot who helped avert the crash of the aircraft. According to officials and reports, his Omani co-pilot attacked him and attempted to seize control of the Boeing 737 MAX 8.The pilot who stabbed has been arrested and being interrogated by the Saudi authorities.<h2>‘Pretty much out of control’</h2>Passenger Miryam Shira Ohayon said that the aircraft was “pretty much out of control” when the stabbing happened, as the plane was flying over Jordan on its path from Dubai to Tel Aviv.“The co-pilot tried to murder the pilot and basically carry out a suicide attack on the plane,” she told reporters via a speakerphone held up by her mother at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv.“It was really on the way to crashing, and it was simply the resourcefulness of many people who took control of the co-pilot and neutralised him,” she added.“There was also a doctor who gave first aid, and people who treated both of them. Other than the pilot, there were no injuries, but the bigger fear was really a crash, which is exactly what he was trying to do,” the passenger said.The plane also sent distress signal 7700, a general international emergency signal. It also briefly sent the code 7500, which signals hijacking and unlawful interference, before it went back to the original distress code.

Passengers from the Flydubai flight landed in Tel Aviv on a second flight after their plane made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia after one of the pilots stabbed his co-pilot and attempted to crash the plane.

A plane carrying passengers from the rerouted Flydubai flight landed at Tel Aviv airport on Wednesday (Sep 30). The flight FZ 1073 was forced to make an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia after one of the pilots attempted to hijack the plane with the intention of crashing it. Israeli leaders have described the incident as an attempted “terrorist” attack. The passengers departed from Tabuk on a second aircraft, also operated by Fludubai, and landed on the tarmac of Ben Gurion Airport at 1534 GMT. Reportedly, Saudi Arabia had turned down a request from Israeli authorities to allow their planes to pick up Israeli passengers from the flight. What happened on Flydubai flight? According to the passengers’ account, an altercation broke out between the pilots, which turned violent. One of the pilots stabbed his co-pilot in the cockpit and attempted to crash the plane with the intention of killing everyone on board. During the altercation, the plane suddenly plunged several feet, from nearly 34,000 feet to less than 17,000 feet. Passengers intervened and took control of the pilot. Smit Machchhar, an Indian captain, has been identified as the pilot who helped avert the crash of the aircraft. According to officials and reports, his Omani co-pilot attacked him and attempted to seize control of the Boeing 737 MAX 8. The pilot who stabbed has been arrested and being interrogated by the Saudi authorities. ‘Pretty much out of control’ Passenger Miryam Shira Ohayon said that the aircraft was “pretty much out of control” when the stabbing happened, as the plane was flying over Jordan on its path from Dubai to Tel Aviv. “The co-pilot tried to murder the pilot and basically carry out a suicide attack on the plane,” she told reporters via a speakerphone held up by her mother at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv. “It was really on the way to crashing, and it was simply the resourcefulness of many people who took control of the co-pilot and neutralised him,” she added. “There was also a doctor who gave first aid, and people who treated both of them. Other than the pilot, there were no injuries, but the bigger fear was really a crash, which is exactly what he was trying to do,” the passenger said. The plane also sent distress signal 7700, a general international emergency signal. It also briefly sent the code 7500, which signals hijacking and unlawful interference, before it went back to the original distress code.

Passengers from the Flydubai flight landed in Tel Aviv on a second flight after their plane made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia after one of the pilots stabbed his co-pilot and attempted to crash the plane.

Flydubai passengers land in Tel Aviv on second flight after hijack scare

An Indian captain has been identified as the pilot who helped prevent a Flydubai passenger jet from crashing after a violent confrontation in the cockpit of a flight bound for Tel Aviv.Smit Machchhar, a former SpiceJet commander who joined the Dubai-based airline in 2022, was flying Flight FZ1073 on Wednesday when, according to officials and media reports, his Omani co-pilot attacked him and attempted to seize control of the Boeing 737 MAX 8.The aircraft, carrying about 174 to 180 passengers and crew, was over north-western Saudi Arabia when it plunged more than 14,000 feet in under 30 seconds.Flight-tracking data showed sharp altitude swings from about 34,000ft. The jet then transmitted emergency codes, including 7500, the international signal for unlawful interference. After the cockpit was secured, the aircraft diverted and landed safely at Tabuk airport. All those on board were accounted for.Israeli officials have described the episode as a possible terrorist attack or attempt to crash the plane; an investigation is continuing and the airline has not confirmed a motive. Flydubai said an “altercation” occurred on the flight deck and that off-duty crew travelling as passengers helped secure the aircraft.Machchhar, at SpiceJet served as a senior commander. He holds a business administration degree from Welingkar Institute.

Indian pilot Smit Machchhar helped prevent a Flydubai jet from crashing after a cockpit confrontation forced the Boeing 737 MAX 8 to make an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia.

An Indian captain has been identified as the pilot who helped prevent a Flydubai passenger jet from crashing after a violent confrontation in the cockpit of a flight bound for Tel Aviv. Smit Machchhar, a former SpiceJet commander who joined the Dubai-based airline in 2022, was flying Flight FZ1073 on Wednesday when, according to officials and media reports, his Omani co-pilot attacked him and attempted to seize control of the Boeing 737 MAX 8. The aircraft, carrying about 174 to 180 passengers and crew, was over north-western Saudi Arabia when it plunged more than 14,000 feet in under 30 seconds. Flight-tracking data showed sharp altitude swings from about 34,000ft. The jet then transmitted emergency codes, including 7500, the international signal for unlawful interference. After the cockpit was secured, the aircraft diverted and landed safely at Tabuk airport. All those on board were accounted for. Israeli officials have described the episode as a possible terrorist attack or attempt to crash the plane; an investigation is continuing and the airline has not confirmed a motive. Flydubai said an “altercation” occurred on the flight deck and that off-duty crew travelling as passengers helped secure the aircraft. Machchhar, at SpiceJet served as a senior commander. He holds a business administration degree from Welingkar Institute.

Indian pilot Smit Machchhar helped prevent a Flydubai jet from crashing after a cockpit confrontation forced the Boeing 737 MAX 8 to make an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia.

Hero Indian captain stops cockpit attack on Tel Aviv-bound Flydubai jet

A passenger detailed what happened aboard the Flydubai flight travelling from Dubai to Israel on Wednesday (Sep 30), when one of the pilots tried to hijack the flight with the intention of crashing it. The Boeing 737 MAX was forced to make an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia after the situation turned scary mid-flight. Israel’s far-right national security minister Itamar Ben Gvir described the incident as an attempted “terrorist” attack. The plane’s captain and co-pilot both sustained injuries and were transported to a hospital. The pilot who stabbed his co-pilot has been arrested and is being interrogated by the Saudi authorities.<h2>What happened on Flydubai flight?</h2>According to an AFP report, citing a passenger on board the flight, one of the pilots attacked his co-pilot and tried to crash the plane to carry out a “suicide attack”. Passenger Miryam Shira Ohayon said that the aircraft was “pretty much out of control” when the stabbing happened, as the plane was flying over Jordan on its path from Dubai to Tel Aviv.“The co-pilot tried to murder the pilot and basically carry out a suicide attack on the plane,” she told reporters via a speakerphone held up by her mother at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv.Flightradar website data showed that the aircraft suddenly lost altitude mid-flight, dropping from nearly 34,000 feet at 0521 GMT to less than 17,000 feet at 0522 GMT.“It was really on the way to crashing, and it was simply the resourcefulness of many people who took control of the co-pilot and neutralised him,” she added.“There was also a doctor who gave first aid, and people who treated both of them. Other than the pilot, there were no injuries, but the bigger fear was really a crash, which is exactly what he was trying to do,” the passenger said.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Footage taken by a passenger aboard the flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv after the plane took a rapid plunge. <a href="https://t.co/O3vd5644pL">pic.twitter.com/O3vd5644pL</a>&mdash; Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) <a href="https://x.com/manniefabian/status/2105249818721374414?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The low-cost carrier had earlier said flight FZ 1073 “experienced an incident while en route. The aircraft has landed safely in Tabuk Airport (TUU) and all passengers are safe and accounted for”.Earlier, Ohayon's mother, Yasmin Abukasis, told AFP that her daughter called her from Saudi Arabia: “She said one pilot tried to kill the other pilot with a knife. They heard shouting.” She added that another passenger went to the cockpit “and saw a lot of blood. She started screaming ‘come help’ and some people went in and caught the guy.”“All the while, the plane started going down very fast. People thought they were going to die,” she added.After landing in Saudi Arabia, an Israeli passenger aboard the flight said that the passengers “were very welcomed” in Saudi Arabia.<h2>Altercation between pilots</h2>According to Israeli media reports, a fight broke out between the pilots, which reportedly triggered a distress signal to be activated.&nbsp;Squawk code 7700, a general international emergency signal, was initially transmitted before switching to 7500, which signals hijacking and unlawful interference. The plane later went back to the original distress code.The reports added that passengers on board stepped in to separate the two pilots. Media reports showed photos of a passenger with a bloodied T-shirt.According to reports, two other pilots were among the passengers, who then took over the controls and carried out the emergency landing in Saudi Arabia.Disclaimer: WION cannot independently verify the videos or the claims.

Passengers described a terrifying Flydubai flight after one pilot allegedly attacked the other and tried to crash the plane, forcing an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia.

A passenger detailed what happened aboard the Flydubai flight travelling from Dubai to Israel on Wednesday (Sep 30), when one of the pilots tried to hijack the flight with the intention of crashing it. The Boeing 737 MAX was forced to make an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia after the situation turned scary mid-flight. Israel’s far-right national security minister Itamar Ben Gvir described the incident as an attempted “terrorist” attack. The plane’s captain and co-pilot both sustained injuries and were transported to a hospital. The pilot who stabbed his co-pilot has been arrested and is being interrogated by the Saudi authorities. What happened on Flydubai flight? According to an AFP report, citing a passenger on board the flight, one of the pilots attacked his co-pilot and tried to crash the plane to carry out a “suicide attack”. Passenger Miryam Shira Ohayon said that the aircraft was “pretty much out of control” when the stabbing happened, as the plane was flying over Jordan on its path from Dubai to Tel Aviv. “The co-pilot tried to murder the pilot and basically carry out a suicide attack on the plane,” she told reporters via a speakerphone held up by her mother at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv. Flightradar website data showed that the aircraft suddenly lost altitude mid-flight, dropping from nearly 34,000 feet at 0521 GMT to less than 17,000 feet at 0522 GMT. “It was really on the way to crashing, and it was simply the resourcefulness of many people who took control of the co-pilot and neutralised him,” she added. “There was also a doctor who gave first aid, and people who treated both of them. Other than the pilot, there were no injuries, but the bigger fear was really a crash, which is exactly what he was trying to do,” the passenger said.

Passengers described a terrifying Flydubai flight after one pilot allegedly attacked the other and tried to crash the plane, forcing an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia.

What happened on Flydubai flight to Israel? Passenger recounts chilling details