A flydubai flight traveling from Dubai to Israel was forced into an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia on September 30, 2026, after an alleged cockpit stabbing involving the pilots. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed the attack, while officials investigated potential terrorist motives as passengers described a dramatic mid-air plunge.
The mid-air crisis unfolded approximately two-and-a-half hours after flydubai flight FZ1073 departed from Dubai in the United Arab Emirates bound for Tel Aviv. Cruising at an altitude of about 34,000 feet, the Boeing 737 carrying between 160 and 180 passengers plummeted 17,000 feet in just two minutes during a violent altercation in the flight deck. Flight-tracking data from Flightradar24 recorded an extreme descent rate, capturing a dive of more than 14,000 feet in under 30 seconds.
Israeli officials scrambled fighter jets over fears of an unlawful hijacking attempt before the aircraft diverted and touched down safely at Tabuk Airport in northwestern Saudi Arabia. The flight’s captain and first officer sustained injuries in the cockpit brawl and were transported to a local hospital for medical treatment. Saudi Arabia’s Cluster2 airport management company and the Saudi transportation safety authority confirmed that local officials launched an immediate investigation into the incident.
Cockpit Struggle and Rescue by Passengers
According to statements from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and passengers aboard the jet, the co-pilot attacked the captain with a knife while sabotaging the aircraft’s systems
as the cabin went into a steep spin. Gruesome footage captured inside the cabin showed crew members performing emergency medical care on the injured pilot in the galley next to blood-smeared walls while wearing oxygen masks.
Two off-duty relief pilots who were scheduled to skipper a subsequent flight stepped into the flight deck alongside brave passengers and crew members to overpower the attacker.
We’re here during the hijacking of an airplane. At this point we’ve subdued the terrorists, we’re approaching landing. Whoever is hearing me, we need help.
Anonymous passenger, via New York Post
Israeli and Indian authorities identified the wounded captain as Smit Machchhar. Israeli leadership hailed his resilience, noting that despite severe injuries he unlocked the cockpit door to let help inside.
Despite being stabbed and seriously injured, he fought back, resisted, opened the cockpit door, and enabled passengers and crew to overpower the attacker — preventing a catastrophic mid-air disaster.
Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Prime Minister, via KMUW
Motive Inquiries and Regional Political Fallout
While the United Arab Emirates civil aviation authority stated via the state-run Emirates News Agency that it is investigating the exact causes and circumstances of the altercation, regional officials voiced sharply differing views on the nature of the event. Israel Defense Minister Israel Katz publicly characterized the event as an attempted jihadist terrorist attack,
though without offering immediate supporting evidence. An Israeli official told Reuters that the suspected co-pilot attacker was an Omani national who had been employed by flydubai for less than a year.
The security breach lands at a delicate geopolitical juncture, occurring less than a month before national elections in Israel that will decide whether Netanyahu remains prime minister. Flights between Israel and the UAE have served as a vital civilian corridor since the two nations normalized diplomatic relations in 2020. In response to the emergency, flydubai announced the immediate suspension of its routes connecting to Israel while international aviation authorities pursue a formal inquiry.
Return of Passengers to Ben Gurion Airport
Following their emergency stop in Saudi Arabia, the shaken passengers were flown out of Tabuk on a substitute aircraft, landing safely at Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv. Families and journalists crowded the arrivals terminal, holding flowers and welcome banners as passengers pushed through the gates dragging luggage, visibly exhausted and emotional.
Passenger Dan Zoler, who traveled with his wife and two young children, described watching three passengers tackle the co-pilot after the stabbing occurred before a replacement pilot took the controls to land safely in Saudi Arabia. Flydubai confirmed that no reports of injuries to passengers were received during the descent, though investigators continue to examine what prompted the violent breach inside the flight deck.
