One pilot 'stabbed the other' and 'apparently tried to crash' Israel-bound plane, Netanyahu says
- On Wednesday, September 30, 2026, Flydubai flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, after a violent cockpit incident involving a stabbing and sudden altitude loss.
- Israeli officials allege an Omani co-pilot stabbed Captain Smit Machchhar, an Indian national, and attempted to crash the aircraft, though Flydubai describes the event as an 'altercation' between pilots.
- Flightradar24 data shows the Boeing 737 MAX 8 dropped from 33,000 feet to 17,000 feet while transmitting emergency codes 7700 and 7500, before passengers and crew intervened to neutralize the attacker.
- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reported that Saudi authorities arrested the co-pilot, while injured pilots were hospitalized and Israeli warplanes briefly scrambled over hijacking fears.
- Authorities are increasing security scrutiny for Israel-bound flights, while pragmatic aviation cooperation between Israel and Saudi Arabia—which lack formal diplomatic ties—enabled the emergency landing.
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On 30 September, the FlyDubai aircraft, flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv, landed in Saudi Arabia in an emergency. One and a half hours after the flight, the aircraft handed over the code of 7700 (general alarm), which changed to 7,500 (the hijacking or seizure), at the same time changed course, increased speed and began to fall sharply: it lost half its height in less than a minute.
Sydney Morning Herald
Pilot stabbed on Israel-bound flight
A pilot has been arrested after stabbing another pilot and apparently trying to crash a plane bound for Israel.
The second pilot of the flydubai Dubai-Tel Aviv flight injured the commander and tried to cause a plane crash, Israel said. The passengers neutralized it, and the plane was landed by a reserve pair of pilots
Israel Probes Flydubai Incident As Possible Terror Attack
A routine flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv turned into a terrifying emergency. A physical confrontation between the pilots reportedly sent the aircraft plunging thousands of feet. The aircraft then diverted to Saudi Arabia. Israeli officials said the co-pilot is believed to have stabbed the captain in what they described as a possible attempted “terror… Continue reading Israel Probes Flydubai Incident As Possible Terror Attack
Off-Duty Pilots Foil Alleged Plot to Crash Flydubai Flight, Saving 170 Israelis
Passengers and crew members subdued a flydubai co-pilot after he allegedly attacked and stabbed the captain during a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv, prompting an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia, Israeli officials said Wednesday. Flydubai flight FZ1073, carrying more than 170 passengers, including a large number of Israelis, was diverted to Tabuk after a […]
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