Flydubai Flight FZ1073 was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv on Wednesday when a confrontation inside the cockpit turned the routine passenger flight into a serious mid-air emergency.
Captain Smit Machchhar, an Indian pilot, was seriously injured during what Flydubai described as an altercation in the flight deck. Israeli officials said the co-pilot stabbed Machchhar during the confrontation and attempted to take control of the aircraft. The plane then plunged nearly 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds, according to Reuters.
The aircraft was cruising over northern Saudi Arabia when the emergency unfolded. Machchhar, despite his injuries, managed to release the cockpit door. This allowed passengers and crew to reach the flight deck and overpower the co-pilot, according to accounts reported by Reuters.
Two relief Flydubai pilots who were travelling as passengers then helped take control of the aircraft. They diverted the plane towards Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, where it landed safely.
The flight had transmitted emergency signals during the incident. Flight-tracking data showed the aircraft making a sharp descent before stabilising and turning towards Tabuk. Flydubai confirmed that FZ1073 landed safely and that all passengers and crew were safe and accounted for.
included 174 passengers of Israeli citizens and people of other nationalities. After the emergency landing, Flydubai arranged another aircraft to take the passengers from Tabuk to Tel Aviv.
Machchhar and the co-pilot were taken to hospital in Tabuk. Indian authorities said Machchhar was receiving medical treatment there and that Indian officials were in contact with his family and the Saudi authorities. He was reported to be stable.
Flydubai has been more cautious about the circumstances than some of the early accounts. The airline has confirmed an incident in the flight deck but said the underlying reasons and motives remain unknown and are subject to a formal investigation. It has urged people to avoid premature speculation.
Machchhar is from Mumbai and has more than a decade of commercial aviation experience. He previously worked with SpiceJet for more than 11 years before joining Flydubai in 2022. Reuters reports that he has logged nearly 9,750 flying hours.
Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz described the incident as an “attempted jihadist terrorist attack” and said preliminary information indicated that the co-pilot intended to crash the aircraft. Katz also said Israeli passengers helped prevent the attack. The claim about the motive remains subject to the ongoing investigation, with Flydubai saying that the reasons behind the incident are still unknown.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi later praised Machchhar for his actions. In a statement issued on October 1, Modi called him a “HERO” and said that, despite being seriously injured and facing grave danger, he showed courage and remained determined to protect the lives of others.
Modi said Machchhar’s valour helped save hundreds of lives and avert a great tragedy, and wished him a speedy recovery.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also praised Machchhar. In a statement, Netanyahu said: “He saved the lives of 174 people, including Israeli citizens and other nationals.” He said Machchhar fought back, resisted and opened the cockpit door, enabling passengers and crew to overpower the attacker and preventing a catastrophic mid-air disaster. Netanyahu called him a “true hero” and wished him a full recovery.
The investigation remains underway as authorities work to establish exactly what happened inside the cockpit and what led to the confrontation on Flight FZ1073.
