Flydubai co-pilot allegedly stabbed captain and tried to crash plane; passengers stormed cockpit

Full report

Flight FZ1073 left Dubai at about 03:05 UTC on September 30. As it crossed Jordanian airspace, an altercation erupted in the cockpit. Flightradar24 data show the aircraft suddenly dropping more than 14,000 feet in under 30 seconds at around 05:22 UTC, transmitting a general emergency code at 05:31 and then the unlawful-interference code at 05:38. Israel scrambled fighter jets as the emergency unfolded, fearing the hijacking of a plane carrying dozens of its citizens. Two reserve flydubai pilots who were traveling aboard the flight helped regain control.

Netanyahu said the injured pilot, named as Captain Smit Machchhar, fought back after being stabbed and seriously wounded, opened the cockpit door, and allowed passengers and crew to overpower the attacker. He called Machchhar a hero and told CNN the disaster averted was on the scale of the September 11, 2001 attacks. The aircraft landed in Tabuk at 06:45 UTC. All passengers were reported safe; both pilots were taken to hospital. Machchhar underwent surgery and is in stable condition. Saudi authorities detained the co-pilot, described by Reuters as an Omani national, and are questioning him.

Flydubai confirmed that an altercation occurred on the flight deck but said the reasons and motives remained unknown and subject to a formal investigation. The airline deployed two replacement aircraft to Tabuk; the passengers were flown on to Ben Gurion airport on Wednesday evening. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi also hailed Machchhar as a national hero, and India's embassy in Riyadh said it was coordinating with Saudi authorities and the pilot's family. Source: Reuters / Al Jazeera / AP / Airways Magazine, September 30–October 1, 2026.