TABUK, Saudi Arabia – Passengers and crew subdued a copilot after he stabbed the captain aboard a Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv on Wednesday, forcing the aircraft into a rapid descent and an emergency landing in northwestern Saudi Arabia.
Flight FZ1073, carrying 174 people, was flying toward Israel when the cockpit confrontation occurred. Israeli officials said the injured captain managed to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers and another crew member to enter and restrain the attacker.
The Boeing 737 was eventually stabilized and landed safely at Tabuk Airport. The passengers later continued to Israel on another Flydubai aircraft.
Flight plunges during cockpit struggle
The incident occurred roughly two hours after the aircraft departed Dubai.
According to flight-tracking data cited by Reuters, the aircraft descended by almost 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds after the confrontation began. Other reports described an even more dramatic sequence of altitude changes as the aircraft struggled to maintain stable flight.
The aircraft subsequently transmitted emergency signals, including the international 7700 emergency code and later 7500, which indicates unlawful interference or a suspected hijacking. It eventually turned toward Tabuk in Saudi Arabia and landed there.
Images from the aircraft after landing showed damage to the rear section of the plane, including the rudder. The precise cause and extent of the damage remain subject to investigation.
Passengers enter cockpit
The captain, identified by Israeli officials as Indian national Smit Machchhar, was wounded during the stabbing.
Israeli officials said Machchhar was able to release the cockpit door after the attack. Passengers and crew then entered the cockpit and restrained the other pilot.
Reuters reported that a second pair of Flydubai pilots was also aboard the aircraft and subsequently helped operate the aircraft and land it safely.
Passengers described a chaotic scene inside the aircraft as people attempted to understand what was happening and help the injured pilot.
One passenger, Asaf Rajuan, told Reuters that he and others moved into the cockpit to restrain the attacker. Israeli officials subsequently credited the passengers and crew with preventing a potentially more serious outcome.
Israel scrambled fighter aircraft
The incident initially raised concerns in Israel that the aircraft could have been hijacked.
Israeli authorities scrambled fighter aircraft toward the flight after the emergency signals and sudden loss of altitude. The aircraft, however, remained under control and diverted to Saudi Arabia rather than continuing directly to Israel.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the episode as a serious security incident and said Saudi authorities had arrested the attacker.
In a statement issued after the passengers returned to Israel, Netanyahu praised those who intervened during the incident and said Israeli security authorities were preparing for potential additional threats.
Motive remains under investigation
The motive for the cockpit attack has not been established.
Israeli officials have characterized the incident as an apparent attempt to take control of the aircraft and crash it, while the investigation into the attacker’s intentions remains ongoing. Reuters reported that an Israeli official identified the attacker as an Omani national. There was no immediate public comment from Oman.
Flydubai said the underlying reasons for the incident remained unknown and cautioned against premature speculation. The airline described the event as an altercation in the cockpit that resulted in the flight diverting to Tabuk.
That distinction is important while investigators establish what prompted the confrontation and whether it constituted a deliberate attempt to bring down the aircraft.
Saudi Arabia investigates after emergency landing
After the aircraft landed in Tabuk, Saudi authorities took control of the security investigation and questioned the attacker.
Both pilots were taken for medical treatment following the incident. Israeli emergency medical authorities later reported that a 51-year-old man had been treated for upper-body injuries and was in mild condition after arriving in Israel.
The aircraft remained in Saudi Arabia while authorities examined the incident and the condition of the plane.
The UAE General Civil Aviation Authority’s aviation-investigation framework requires safety-critical occurrences involving unlawful interference or serious in-flight incidents to be reported and investigated, with flight recorders preserved pending clearance.
Flydubai suspends Israel flights
Flydubai said it was suspending flights to and from Israel while the investigation proceeds.
The incident occurred on a route connecting Dubai and Tel Aviv that normally crosses Saudi and Jordanian airspace. Flydubai operates the route as part of its wider network between the UAE and Israel.
The airline did not immediately establish a public motive for the cockpit confrontation.
The event also prompted renewed attention to security screening of pilots operating flights into Israel. Israeli officials said additional checks would be considered for pilots flying the route.
Passengers eventually reach Israel
After spending several hours in Saudi Arabia, the passengers departed for Israel aboard another Flydubai aircraft.
They arrived at Ben Gurion Airport later Wednesday, where relatives and other passengers gathered to receive them. Reports from the airport described passengers recounting the cockpit struggle and the aircraft’s sudden descent.
No passenger deaths were reported.
The investigation remains focused on the cockpit attack, the aircraft’s loss of altitude, the damage sustained during the emergency and the motive of the arrested copilot.
Reporting Credit: Flydubai; UAE General Civil Aviation Authority; Israel Prime Minister’s Office; Israeli emergency medical authorities; Saudi aviation and security authorities.
