New details have emerged about the Flydubai cockpit attack aboard flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv, after the co-pilot allegedly attacked the captain while the Boeing 737 MAX 8 was cruising at around 34,000 feet. The aircraft was carrying more than 170 people and later made an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
Passengers hear screams from the cockpit
Passengers initially believed the sudden loss of altitude was caused by severe turbulence. They then heard shouting from the front of the aircraft, while a woman reportedly shouted that there was a knife.
A group of passengers rushed towards the cockpit. Four men eventually managed to restrain the suspected attacker, remove him from the cockpit and tie him up.
One of the passengers, Georgian dentist Shota Musaev, who was travelling with his wife and children, described the co-pilot repeatedly saying, “Kill me, kill me”, according to passenger accounts reported after the incident.
Captain seriously injured
The captain, Indian pilot Smit Machchhar, suffered serious injuries during the confrontation. Passenger accounts described wounds to his neck, hand and the back of his head, with substantial bleeding.
Machchhar remained conscious and called for help. Musaev said the passengers used pieces of cloth to apply pressure to the wounds because they did not have sufficient first-aid supplies.
The injured captain is also reported to have opened the cockpit door, allowing passengers and crew to intervene. According to Musaev, this was crucial because a locked cockpit could have prevented them from reaching the pilots.
The exact weapon used remains unclear. Early passenger accounts referred to a knife, while other reports have raised the possibility that the aircraft’s emergency crash axe may have been involved. Reuters has not independently established which weapon was used.
Aircraft loses thousands of feet
The situation quickly became critical.
Flight-tracking data showed the aircraft falling from around 34,000 feet to approximately 16,600 feet in about a minute, with reports putting the sharpest part of the descent at roughly 29 seconds. The aircraft also transmitted emergency and unlawful-interference codes during the incident.
The plane was flying over Saudi Arabia when the incident occurred.
Other flydubai pilots travelling on the aircraft eventually took over the controls and stabilised the Boeing 737 MAX 8. The aircraft was diverted to Tabuk, where it landed safely.
Investigation into co-pilot’s motives
The suspected attacker was detained by Saudi authorities. Israeli officials have said he was an Omani national and identified him as the co-pilot, although authorities have not publicly established a motive.
Israeli officials have raised the possibility that the incident was a deliberate attempt to bring down the aircraft. However, flydubai has said that the reasons and motives remain unknown and are subject to a formal investigation, urging against premature speculation.
The investigation is examining what happened inside the cockpit, how the confrontation began and how a weapon was available during the flight.
The incident has also raised questions about aviation security and the potential risks posed by threats originating from flight crew rather than passengers.
🚨✈️🇦🇪🇮🇱 Un vol Flydubai reliant Dubaï à Tel-Aviv a déclenché le code d’urgence signalant un possible détournement alors qu’il transportait environ 180 passagers.
— KRONIK Insights (@KRONIKInsights) September 30, 2026
L’appareil a été dérouté vers l’Arabie saoudite. pic.twitter.com/JCAcaidYT0
Also read: Flydubai passengers speak out after chaotic flight – Reports of blood on board
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