Pilot stabbed and plane plunges in mid-air attack on Dubai-Tel Aviv flight

What Happened

A flydubai flight carrying over 170 passengers from Dubai to Tel Aviv suffered a mid-air attack after a co-pilot allegedly stabbed the pilot and tried to crash the aircraft. The flight, designated as Flight FZ1073, plunged between 14,000 and 17,000 feet in under 30 seconds, nearly reaching the speed of sound two hours into its journey. Flight-tracking data shows the aircraft transmitted emergency code 7700 before switching to code 7500 for unlawful interference and a possible hijacking, then reverting back to 7700.

Passenger Intervention

A passenger named Yaniv Hayun put the attacker in a chokehold while other passengers and crew members rushed into the cockpit to help. Despite being stabbed and seriously injured, the wounded pilot, Indian national Captain Smit Machchhar, fought back and managed to open the cockpit door. Passengers including Zvika Meness tied the attacker up with zip ties, and two on-duty crew members eventually landed the plane safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. More than ten hours later, the passengers arrived in Tel Aviv aboard a replacement flydubai flight.

Reactions and Investigation

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the incident an attempted terrorist attack and praised Captain Machchhar as a true hero who saved many lives. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and U.S. President Donald Trump also hailed the injured pilot for his bravery. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz termed it an attempted jihadist terror attack, while flydubai stated the motive remains unknown pending a formal investigation and suspended all its flights to and from Israel.

Context

Commercial aircraft are tightly secured and equipped with flight data and cockpit voice recorders to help investigators piece together critical events. Major international flights follow strict protocol during medical or security emergencies, prioritizing immediate diversion to the nearest safe airfield.