Stabbed Pilot Opened Cockpit Door, Allowing Everyday Passengers to Fight Off Alleged Hijacker on Israel Bound Flight

Passengers Storm Cockpit After Co-Pilot Stabs Captain and Allegedly Tries to Crash Israel Bound Flydubai Flight

Passengers aboard a Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv were forced into an extraordinary midair fight for survival Wednesday after a co-pilot allegedly stabbed the captain and attempted to crash the Boeing 737 MAX 8, sending the aircraft plunging thousands of feet before passengers and crew stormed the cockpit and overpowered him.

Flydubai Flight FZ1073 was carrying 174 people, most of them Israeli nationals, when the violent confrontation erupted while the aircraft was flying over the Middle East on its way to Ben Gurion International Airport. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the co-pilot stabbed the captain and apparently attempted to crash the aircraft with everyone aboard before passengers and crew intervened. The alleged attacker was eventually subdued, and a reserve Flydubai flight crew traveling aboard the aircraft took control and diverted the plane to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.

Aircraft Plunges Nearly 14,000 Feet in Seconds

Flight tracking data reviewed by Reuters showed the Boeing 737 MAX 8 cruising at approximately 34,000 feet before suddenly dropping more than 14,000 feet in roughly 30 seconds. The aircraft briefly crossed into Jordanian airspace before returning to Saudi Arabia and ultimately landing safely at Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Tabuk.

During the emergency, Flight FZ1073 initially transmitted transponder code 7700, signaling a general emergency, before switching to 7500, the international aviation code used to indicate unlawful interference or a possible hijacking. The aircraft later returned to the general emergency code. The transmission established that an unlawful interference alert was raised aboard the aircraft, although the code itself does not establish the attacker’s motive.

Passengers described the aircraft violently descending as confusion erupted near the cockpit. Passenger Almog Italie told Reuters that the plane appeared to drop for 20 to 30 seconds, stabilize and then begin dropping again as passengers realized a serious confrontation was unfolding at the front of the aircraft.

Wounded Captain Managed to Open Cockpit

Israeli officials identified the wounded captain as Smit Machchhar, an Indian national. According to a spokesperson for Netanyahu’s office, Machchhar had been stabbed and was lying bloodied on the cockpit floor but managed to activate the mechanism that released the cockpit door, allowing passengers and crew members to enter.

Those who rushed inside reportedly found the co-pilot near the aircraft’s controls as the wounded captain lay on the floor. Passengers then fought with the alleged attacker and eventually restrained him, allowing reserve Flydubai pilots who were traveling aboard the flight to assume control of the aircraft.

Passenger Yaniv Hayoun was among those who entered the cockpit and confronted the co-pilot. Hayoun later arrived in Israel wearing a shirt stained with blood and was publicly embraced by Netanyahu at Ben Gurion Airport. Another passenger, Asaf Rajuan, who helped restrain the attacker, was photographed with injuries sustained during the struggle.

The Associated Press reported that Hayoun said he briefly grabbed the aircraft’s controls during the chaos and pulled back on them before other crew members took over. Another passenger, dentist Shota Musayev, helped attend to the injured captain while passengers remained concerned that another attacker could potentially be aboard the aircraft.

Video Captures Bloody Aftermath Inside Aircraft

Video recorded aboard Flight FZ1073 and independently verified by Reuters captured the immediate aftermath of the cockpit confrontation. The footage showed two wounded and bloodied men lying on the floor as passengers attempted to secure the aircraft. One was identified in the video as the injured captain, while another man wearing epaulettes consistent with the rank of co-pilot was identified by passengers as the attacker.

The video provides independent visual evidence of the violent aftermath but does not show the initial stabbing or establish the alleged attacker’s motive. The Associated Press separately reviewed social media footage showing both the captain and first officer wounded after the confrontation. Aviation experts cited by AP described the aircraft’s rapid descent as exceptionally dangerous and said its successful recovery was remarkable.

Reserve Pilots Take Control and Land in Saudi Arabia

Once the alleged attacker had been restrained, a reserve Flydubai crew traveling aboard the flight assumed control of the aircraft. Flydubai confirmed that on duty crew members traveling on the plane secured the aircraft, diverted it and landed safely in Tabuk. Both pilots involved in the confrontation were transported to a Saudi hospital following the emergency landing. The Indian Embassy in Saudi Arabia later said Captain Machchhar was in stable condition.

The alleged attacker was taken into Saudi custody. An Israeli official identified the co-pilot as an Omani national, although Saudi authorities had not publicly identified him as of Wednesday evening. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates opened investigations into the incident. The UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority described what occurred as a security incident that had been brought under control.

Motive Remains Under Investigation

Israeli officials have described the incident in extremely serious terms. Netanyahu said the co-pilot apparently intended to crash the aircraft, while Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz described what occurred as an attempted attack and credited passengers with preventing a catastrophe.

However, the motive has not been independently established, and Flydubai has urged against drawing premature conclusions while investigators determine what happened inside the cockpit.

“At this early stage, the underlying reasons and motives behind this event are unknown and remain subject to a formal investigation,” the airline said.

That distinction remains important. The violent cockpit attack, stabbing, dramatic descent and passenger intervention are now supported by multiple sources and witness accounts, but authorities have not publicly established whether the alleged attack was motivated by terrorism, personal circumstances, mental health factors or another cause.

Israel Scrambled Fighter Jets as Hijacking Fears Grew

The emergency triggered an immediate security response in Israel. The Associated Press reported that Israeli fighter jets were scrambled amid fears that the aircraft could have been hijacked as authorities attempted to understand what was happening aboard Flight FZ1073.

The incident has also raised significant questions about airline security and pilot screening, particularly how a weapon could have entered the cockpit of a commercial aircraft. Aviation security experts told Reuters that commercial pilots generally undergo security screening as well as background, medical and psychological evaluations.

Israel announced after the attack that it intends to increase security checks involving pilots operating flights into the country. A spokesperson for Netanyahu’s office said authorities would seek additional information about the identities and backgrounds of pilots flying to Israel. Flydubai also suspended flights to and from Israel while authorities investigate the incident.

Passengers Eventually Return to Tel Aviv

After spending hours in Saudi Arabia, the passengers continued their journey aboard a replacement Flydubai aircraft and arrived at Ben Gurion International Airport more than 10 hours after the original emergency. Some arrived with visible injuries and blood-stained clothing from the confrontation aboard the aircraft.

For investigators, significant questions remain, including what motivated the co-pilot, how a knife or other sharp weapon reached the cockpit, precisely what actions caused the aircraft’s extreme descent and whether existing aviation security procedures failed before Flight FZ1073 departed Dubai.

What is already clear is that the confrontation aboard Flight FZ1073 went far beyond an ordinary cockpit altercation. A captain was stabbed, a commercial airliner carrying 174 people plunged thousands of feet, an unlawful-interference alert was transmitted and passengers physically entered the cockpit to help overpower the alleged attacker before another flight crew regained control and landed the aircraft safely.

Sources & Further Reading

Reuters — “Passengers foil bid to crash Dubai-Tel Aviv flight, Israel says, after co-pilot stabs pilot”
https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/diverted-flydubai-flight-israel-was-not-hijacking-incident-israeli-prime-2026-09-30/

Reuters — “A pilot brawl, then a rapid descent: passengers recount chaos on flydubai flight”
https://www.reuters.com/world/pilot-brawl-then-rapid-descent-passengers-recount-chaos-flydubai-flight-2026-09-30/

Reuters — “Israel to ramp up pilot checks after flydubai scare”
https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-ramp-up-pilot-checks-after-flydubai-scare-2026-09-30/

Associated Press — “Copilot stabs captain on flight to Israel before passengers storm cockpit and stabilize jetliner”
https://apnews.com/article/israel-saudi-arabia-dubai-emergency-landing-fd1835479898f2f944792913af7cbce6

Khaleej Times — “Incident on board Dubai-Tel Aviv flydubai flight; plane diverted to Saudi Arabia”
https://www.khaleejtimes.com/business/aviation/flydubai-dubai-tel-aviv-flight-lands-safely-in-saudi-arabia-after-incident-en-route