Flydubai passengers and crew subdue co-pilot after attack on captain
On Wednesday, October 1, 2026, Flydubai Flight FZ1073 departed Dubai for Tel Aviv carrying 174 passengers before experiencing a violent mid-air altercation in the cockpit. The co-pilot stabbed the flight’s Indian captain, Smit Machchhar, plunging the aircraft more than 17,000 feet in two minutes before passengers and crew intervened to subdue the attacker and safely divert the flight to Saudi Arabia.
Flight FZ1073 Departure and Steep Descent Over Saudi Arabia
Flightradar24 data shows that the aircraft departed Dubai at 7:05 am (03:05 GMT) and climbed to a cruising altitude of 34,000 feet. Just over two hours into the journey, the aircraft abruptly initiated a steep descent over Saudi airspace, plunging sharply before brief recoveries and subsequent dives.
Passengers standing in the aisle or visiting the restroom were thrown to the floor as the aircraft descended over 17,000 feet in just 120 seconds, reaching roughly 15,000 feet by 05:33 GMT when the aircraft finally leveled out.
Cockpit Stabbing and Captain Machchhar Fighting for Control
Inside the flight deck, a violent struggle erupted when the co-pilot attacked Captain Smit Machchhar. Machchhar sustained injuries and was left lying on the cockpit floor while the aircraft hurtled toward the ground.
Machchhar fought to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers and off-duty crew members to storm the flight deck. Machchhar told Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a video call that he knew the plane was plummeting and he refused to let others die.
Reuters reported that passenger Yaniv Hayun, a 50-year-old sewage company owner traveling with his family, rushed forward when a woman screamed about a stabbing. Hayun and other passengers entered the cockpit, placed the co-pilot in a chokehold, and dragged him out of the seat. Hayun then grabbed the yoke to pull the aircraft out of its nosedive. Additional passengers, including Dr. Shota Musaev and Asaf Rajuan, helped restrain the co-pilot and administer medical care.
US and Iran Clash over Co-Pilot Motives
Governments across the region and the United States offered sharply contrasting claims regarding the motives and background of the co-pilot. US President Donald Trump told reporters that the co-pilot was “perhaps a terrorist or perhaps a whack-job,” adding that preliminary intelligence suggested a potential link to Iran. Trump stated that Tehran would be hit “very hard” if confirmed responsible.
Iranian state-run Press TV published a conflicting report citing an unnamed regional source. That report alleged that the incident was part of a planned “false flag” hijacking devised by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a secret visit to the United Arab Emirates to draw the United States into a war with Iran. The broadcaster provided no documentary evidence for the allegation, and officials from Israel, the US, and the UAE made no immediate comment on those specific claims.
Meanwhile, Israeli and Emirati authorities focused security assessments on the individual’s direct actions. Two Israeli security officials told reporters that initial evaluations pointed to the co-pilot acting alone, while noting that mental health concerns remained under investigation. Netanyahu praised both Captain Machchhar and the Israeli passengers during airport meetings in Tel Aviv, while the UAE’s chief prosecutor opened a formal investigation into potential terror links and pre-planning under Emirati aviation jurisdiction.
Saudi Arabia’s Interior Ministry announced that both injured pilots had recovered sufficiently to leave the kingdom on Thursday morning, accompanied by an Emirati security team, on a flight bound for Abu Dhabi. Flydubai confirmed the temporary suspension of all flights to and from Israel while aviation authorities in Saudi Arabia and the UAE continue their investigations.