A commercial flight from the United Arab Emirates to Israel took a terrifying turn on Wednesday when a pilot allegedly stabbed another pilot and attempted to sabotage the aircraft before being subdued by passengers and crew members.
Flight FZ1073 Plummets Over Saudi Airspace Amid Cockpit Struggle
Flydubai flight FZ1073 departed from Dubai International Airport at 03:05 GMT, bound for Ben-Gurion Airport in Israel, carrying 174 passengers—including 30 children—and a complement of crew members. Roughly two and a half hours into the journey, as the Boeing 737 neared Jordanian airspace, data from Flightradar24 tracked a sudden and rapid descent. The aircraft plunged more than 17,000 feet in less than two minutes, dropping from a cruising altitude of 33,000 feet down to 17,000 feet as a violent struggle unfolded behind the cockpit door.
Passengers inside the cabin described scenes of utter panic as the aircraft shook violently and dove toward the ground. Aviatar Alevi, a 17-year-old student onboard, told NBC News that he initially thought the aircraft was experiencing a mechanical malfunction before he heard screaming about stabbings. Another traveler, 70-year-old Motti Cohen Or, reported hearing a woman shouting that someone was stabbing a crew member in the front of the plane before the jet took a steep nose dive.
Passengers Breach the Cockpit and Subdue the Attacking Pilot
Inside the flight deck, Captain Smit Machchhar fought back against his co-pilot despite sustaining serious knife wounds. Although the attacker attempted to jam the aircraft’s systems and prevent anyone from entering, the wounded captain managed to open the cockpit door before collapsing. That crucial action allowed waiting crew members and passengers to rush inside.
“We managed to get it open, but what made it difficult for us was the pilot himself — he had been stabbed and was on the other side of the door.”
Yaniv Hayun, passenger, via NBC News
Hayun and other passengers wrestled the attacker away from the controls, pulling him backward out of the flight deck. According to statements given to Israeli media and government officials, two off-duty European pilots who happened to be among the passengers—including a British pilot—then stepped forward to assist the remaining flight crew, stabilizing the aircraft and guiding it toward an emergency landing.
Emergency Squawk Codes Trigger Regional Military Scramble
During the mid-air crisis, the flight transmitted a squawk 7700 general emergency signal before switching to a squawk 7500 code, the international indicator for unlawful interference and hijacking. The sudden erratic maneuvers and distress signals prompted both the Israeli and Saudi Arabian air forces to scramble fighter jets as the plane looped back over the region.
The aircraft ultimately diverted from its intended Israeli destination and made a safe emergency landing at Tabuk Airport—a civilian and military facility in northwestern Saudi Arabia also known as Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Airport. Emergency medical responders rushed both pilots to a local hospital for urgent treatment.
International Reaction and Ongoing Security Investigations
As authorities launched an international inquiry into the incident, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the quick-thinking passengers and crew, singling out Captain Machchhar for his extraordinary bravery in preventing a catastrophic disaster. Netanyahu also met with Hayun at Ben Gurion Airport upon the passengers’ return, thanking him while he was still wearing a blood-stained T-shirt.
Israeli officials and international leaders offered varying assessments of the attacker’s motives while investigations proceeded. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz publicly characterized the event as an attempted jihadist terror attack, while Netanyahu told CBS News that the incident looked more like a suicide attempt, noting that the suspect pilot is an Omani citizen currently being interrogated by Saudi authorities. United States President Donald Trump confirmed he spoke with Netanyahu regarding the event, describing it as an incredible story where the co-pilot acted as a terrorist or a disturbed individual.
Flydubai announced the temporary suspension of all flights to and from Israel while aviation and security regulators review the security protocols surrounding Flight FZ1073. Stranded passengers were flown home to Tel Aviv late Wednesday evening aboard a replacement flydubai aircraft after Saudi authorities declined an Israeli request to send military transport planes to retrieve them.
