Was Indian Pilot Hit with Axe During Flydubai ‘Crash Attempt’? Here's What Israel PM Netanyahu Said
Passengers and crew restrained the alleged attacker after the captain opened the cockpit door, and Netanyahu said 174 people were saved.
- On Wednesday, September 30, 2026, Dubai Flight FZ1073 landed safely in Saudi Arabia after an alleged cockpit altercation between pilots, which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described as "a highly severe security incident."
- Flightradar24 data shows the Boeing 737 plummeted from 34,000 feet to nearly 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds before transmitting emergency codes 7700 and 7500, then made a 180-degree turn toward Tabuk.
- Despite injuries, Captain Smit Machchhar opened the cockpit door, enabling passengers and crew to restrain the alleged attacker; Netanyahu claimed the pilot was attacked with a "crash axe," though Flydubai stated the incident remains under investigation.
- Flydubai confirmed all 174 people on board are safe and accounted for following the landing, while Saudi authorities arrested the co-pilot involved in the cockpit confrontation.
- Although some Israeli media reported a hijacking attempt, Flydubai has not independently confirmed these claims, emphasizing that the "crash axe" is designed for emergency access rather than as a weapon.
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Axe Attack In Mid-Air? Indian Pilot Smit Machchhar Attacked By Co-Pilot On Flydubai Flight
There occurred an incident involving a Flydubai aircraft that was heading towards Tel Aviv from Dubai, where the alleged attack by the co-pilot took place against the Indian captain, Smit Machchhar. The flight had 174 people on board, and
Co-pilot stabbed pilot, tried to crash aircraft
JERUSALEM — The co-pilot of a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv tried to crash the plane after stabbing the pilot, but passengers subdued him while other pilots landed the plane safely in Saudi Arabia, Israeli officials said Wednesday.
The attack on a Flydubai plane on the way to Israel reveals more details about the brutal battle in the cockpit. The Indian pilot Smit Machchhar is said to have been attacked with an axe. The flight captain has been operated on and is now in a stable condition.
Fighting for his life, he managed to unlock cockpit: Netanyahu recalls Capt Machchhars bravery on Flydubai flight - The Tribune
'What we know is that this plane that was heading from Dubai to Israel, as they approached Israel, one of the co-pilots stabbed or hit with an axe the other pilot, an Indian pilot. The pilot who was hit, bleeding profusely and fighting for his life, managed to unlock the cockpit door, but the plane was going into a nosedive,' he said.
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