On September 30, 2026, Flydubai Flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv experienced a severe in-flight security crisis when a pilot—reported to be an Omani national—stabbed his fellow pilot, Indian captain Smit Machchhar, in an apparent attempt to sabotage the aircraft's systems and crash the plane. [1, 2, 3]
The Incident & Rapid Descent
Roughly two hours into the flight, as the Boeing 737 approached the Saudi-Jordanian border, the co-pilot attacked the captain. The aircraft transmitted an emergency squawk code 7700 followed by 7500 (indicating unlawful interference or hijacking) before plummeting 17,000 feet in less than two minutes. [1, 2, 4]
Passengers and Crew Intervene
A catastrophic disaster was averted when an Israeli passenger and an off-duty crew member managed to break into the cockpit, physically overpowering and subduing the attacker. Another crew member entered the flight deck to stabilize the aircraft, pulling it out of the spin. [5, 6]
Emergency Diversion and Aftermath
- Landing in Saudi Arabia: The plane reversed course and made an emergency landing at Tabuk Airport in northwestern Saudi Arabia around 9:45 a.m. local time. [1, 7]
- Injuries & Arrest: Both pilots were hospitalized in Tabuk. Captain Machchhar suffered serious stab wounds, while the assailant sustained minor injuries before being arrested and interrogated by Saudi authorities. [6, 8]
- Repatriation: The flight was carrying between 160 and 180 passengers, the vast majority of whom were Israeli nationals. Although Saudi Arabia rejected a direct request to allow an Israeli aircraft to retrieve them, a replacement Flydubai aircraft safely evacuated the stranded passengers from Tabuk to Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport later that evening. [1, 3, 9, 10]
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the passengers and crew as heroes for preventing a major disaster, while Israeli authorities are officially treating the event as a suspected attempted terrorist attack. [3, 6, 11]
