TEL AVIV, Israel – Captain Smit Machchhar and four passengers played key roles in preventing a potentially catastrophic outcome after an alleged cockpit attack sent a Flydubai aircraft into a steep descent during a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv.
Machchhar, an Indian national and the aircraft’s captain, was seriously injured after his co-pilot allegedly attacked him inside the cockpit.
Despite his injuries, Machchhar managed to open the cockpit door. That allowed passengers to enter the flight deck and confront the attacker while other crew members worked to regain control of the Boeing 737.
The aircraft was ultimately diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, where it landed safely.
Captain opens the cockpit door
The attack occurred while Flight FZ1073 was traveling from Dubai toward Tel Aviv.
According to accounts from passengers and Israeli officials, the co-pilot attacked Machchhar while the aircraft was in flight. The plane then began losing altitude rapidly.
Machchhar was wounded but managed to unlock the cockpit door.
That action gave passengers access to the flight deck at a critical moment and allowed them to intervene against the attacker.
The aircraft reportedly lost about 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds. The severity of the descent added urgency to the passengers’ efforts to regain control.
Four passengers enter the cockpit
Four passengers have been identified in reporting as playing significant roles in the response: Yaniv Hayun, Zvika Manes, Assaf Rajuan and Dr. Shota Musaev.
Their actions were different, but each became involved as the situation inside the cockpit unfolded.
Hayun, a plumber, was among the passengers who entered the cockpit. He said he grabbed the attacker and pulled him away from the controls.
He also briefly took hold of the aircraft’s controls while the plane was descending, helping pull the nose upward until trained pilots could take over.
Hayun helps pull attacker away
Hayun told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Machchhar was close to the cockpit door but was injured and unable to open it immediately.
Once the door opened, Hayun entered the cockpit and saw the attacker near the aircraft’s controls.
He said he grabbed the attacker and pulled him away from the flight deck.
Hayun also described taking hold of the controls while the aircraft was pointed downward. Other crew members subsequently took over control of the aircraft.
Netanyahu later praised Hayun publicly for his actions.
Rajuan and Manes join the response
Assaf Rajuan and Zvika Manes were also among the passengers who entered the cockpit and helped confront the attacker.
Israeli authorities and subsequent reporting have credited the group of passengers with helping restrain the co-pilot and prevent further interference with the aircraft.
Rajuan later described the experience as an instinctive response to an unfolding emergency.
The passengers were not acting as trained flight crew. Their intervention bought time for pilots who were aboard the aircraft to assume control.
Dentist treats the wounded captain
Dr. Shota Musaev, a dentist traveling as a passenger, helped treat Machchhar after entering the cockpit.
Musaev described finding the captain badly injured and bleeding heavily.
He provided medical assistance while other passengers and crew members worked to restrain the attacker and restore control of the aircraft.
Musaev later said Machchhar appeared to have lost a significant amount of blood and that the situation was critical.
Relief pilots help land the aircraft
The passengers’ intervention did not end the emergency.
Once the attacker was subdued, other Flydubai pilots who were traveling aboard the aircraft were able to take over the flight deck.
Flydubai said the aircraft was secured by its on-duty crew, which diverted the plane and landed it safely at Tabuk Airport.
The presence of additional qualified pilots aboard the aircraft became an important part of the response because the captain had been seriously injured and the co-pilot was no longer in a position to operate the aircraft.
Aircraft lands safely in Saudi Arabia
The aircraft diverted to Tabuk in northwestern Saudi Arabia after the emergency.
The passengers and crew were later transported onward to Israel aboard another aircraft.
The incident triggered a major security response, with Israeli authorities preparing for the possibility of a hijacking while the aircraft was still airborne.
No passenger deaths were reported.
Machchhar was taken to a hospital after the landing. India’s embassy said he was in stable condition, and India’s Ministry of External Affairs later said he was transferred to Abu Dhabi for continued treatment.
Investigation into the cockpit attack
The alleged attacker has been identified as an Omani national.
The United Arab Emirates has opened an investigation into the incident, including whether it involved terrorist activity, intent or prior planning.
Saudi Arabia and Israel are also involved in the broader investigation.
The motive has not been conclusively established. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has made claims about the co-pilot’s alleged radicalization and intentions, but those claims remain part of an ongoing investigation rather than established judicial findings.
A chain of actions prevented a larger disaster
The incident was not resolved by a single intervention.
Machchhar’s ability to open the cockpit door gave passengers access to the flight deck. Hayun, Manes, Rajuan and Musaev then became involved in different ways, including restraining the attacker, assisting with the aircraft’s controls and treating the injured captain.
Trained pilots traveling aboard the aircraft subsequently took control and diverted the plane to Tabuk.
Flydubai said all passengers and crew were safe and accounted for after the landing.
The sequence illustrates how several separate actions combined during a rapidly developing emergency: the wounded captain opened access to the cockpit, passengers intervened, medical assistance was provided, and qualified crew members ultimately brought the aircraft to safety.
Reporting Credit: Flydubai; United Arab Emirates Ministry of Interior and prosecutorial authorities; Israeli government and security authorities; Indian Ministry of External Affairs.
