Journalism of Courage
Flydubai pilot who fought off co-pilot, got stabbed, saved plane was Indian
Flydubai mid-air terror: Indian pilot Smit Machchhar is being credited with helping save the plane, which landed safely in Saudi Arabia’s Tabuk following the cockpit altercation.
Flydubai pilot Smit Machchhar: The Boeing 737 jet, with 174 passengers on board, sounded emergency alerts before landing at the Tabuk airport.
The Flydubai pilot who was stabbed by his co-pilot on Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv on Wednesday was Indian national Smit Machchhar, who earlier worked with SpiceJet, according to people in the know. According to some Israeli news outlets, who didn’t name the pilot and the co-pilot, the latter — identified as an Omani national — attacked and stabbed the Indian captain in what is being reported as a bid to take over the aircraft’s controls and crash it.
The Indian pilot is being credited with helping save the aircraft, which landed safely in Saudi Arabia’s Tabuk following the cockpit altercation. He was taken to a hospital in Saudi Arabia after the aircraft landed; the condition of his health could not be immediately ascertained. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Saudi Arabia had arrested the co-pilot who apparently tried to crash the plane which had a number of Israeli nationals on board, AP reported.
While details about the altercation and sequence of events remained sketchy, some Israeli news outlets reported that the pilot fought back the co-pilot to prevent the aircraft from crashing, with the crew and some passengers then helping in subduing the co-pilot.
flydubai FZ1073 · September 30, 2026
Flydubai FZ1073: From Dubai to an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia
A Tel Aviv-bound flight lost half its altitude in about a minute, sent emergency codes and diverted to Tabuk after what Israeli officials describe as an attack in the cockpit.
Investigation ongoingFlydubai FZ1073: What happened mid-air?
The flight, step by step. Times and altitudes are from Flightradar24 data.
Dubaitake-offTel AvivdestinationTabuklandedJORDANSAUDI ARABIAUAEIRAQEGYPT 77007500
Altitude
- Take-off
- Confrontation
- Plunge
- 7700 → 7500
- Jets scrambled
- Door opens
- Attacker subdued
- Diverts
- Lands
03:05 GMT · Dubai
FZ1073, a Boeing 737 MAX 8, takes off for Tel Aviv with about 170 people on board.
About 2 hr 15 min into the flight Alleged
A confrontation breaks out in the cockpit. Israeli officials say the co-pilot stabbed the captain.
05:21 GMT · 34,000 ft → ~16,600 ft
Flight-tracking data shows the jet losing about half its altitude in roughly a minute.
05:28 and 05:35 GMT
The transponder shows 7700, a general emergency, then 7500, unlawful interference.
Israel
Fearing a possible hijacking, Israel scrambles fighter jets.
Cockpit Attributed
The injured captain opens the cockpit door so others can get in, Israeli PM Netanyahu said.
Passengers and crew Attributed
A passenger and crew members enter the cockpit and overpower the attacker, according to Netanyahu and passengers.
Towards Saudi Arabia
On-duty flydubai crew travelling on the flight secure the plane and divert it to Tabuk, the airline says.
About 07:00 GMT · Tabuk
The aircraft lands safely. Passengers are safe; both pilots are taken to hospital.
Route is approximate. Cockpit events are based on accounts from Israeli officials, flydubai and passengers; their exact timing has not been made public.
India link: the injured captain, Smit Machchhar, is an Indian national, i24NEWS and Israel Hayom report. He is in a stable condition after surgery in Saudi Arabia, according to i24NEWS.
Inside the flydubai cockpit: What we know
The least clear part of the story, in sequence
- 1
Cockpit confrontation
A fight breaks out between the two pilots
- 2
One pilot allegedly stabs the other
Israeli officials say the co-pilot stabbed the captain
- 3
Attempt to take control
Netanyahu says the attacker “apparently tried to crash the plane”
- 4
Injured pilot opens the cockpit door
The wounded captain lets others in, Netanyahu said
- 5
A passenger and crew member enter
A passenger says a relief pilot called for help and others followed
- 6
Attacker subdued
Passengers and crew overpower him
- 7
Other crew regain control
flydubai: on-duty crew travelling on the flight secured the plane
Based on accounts from Israeli officials and passengers; investigation ongoing. flydubai says the reasons and motives “remain unknown and are subject to a formal investigation”.
Why did Israel scramble fighter jets?
What Israeli authorities could see from the ground
-
1 · Emergency signalThe aircraft transmits 7700, then 7500: unlawful interference
-
2 · Rapid altitude loss34,000 ft to about 16,600 ft in roughly a minute
-
3 · Hijacking fearedIsraeli authorities scramble fighter jets
What actually happened?
Israeli officials later said the incident involved an alleged attack by one pilot on the other. Netanyahu said one pilot stabbed the other and “apparently tried to crash the plane”. The investigation is ongoing.
‘We need help’: What passengers saw aboard Flydubai FZ1073
In passengers’ own words. Their accounts have not been independently verified.
A bloodied passenger
“We are in the middle of a plane hijacking. At the moment, we have subdued the terrorists and we are preparing to land… We need help.”
Passenger video, as reported by Ynet
Passengers rush the cockpit
“A few of us just jumped in and pulled him out of the cockpit. Everything is OK now.”
Passenger, as reported by Ynet
An injured pilot
“Everyone on the plane is safe and well except for the pilot.”
Passenger, as reported by Ynet
Crew and passengers restrain the attacker
“He called for help, and two others and I entered the cockpit and subdued the terrorist. I’m covered in blood.”
Zvika Manes, passenger, to Ynet
Passengers stay on board after landing
Passengers remained on the plane after it landed in Tabuk.
Euronews
Saudi security surrounds the aircraft
A heavy Saudi security presence surrounded the plane.
Euronews
The numbers behind the flydubai emergency
Each figure with its source
- ~170people on boardNewsweek; i24 says 174
- 34,000 ftcruising altitude before the dropFlightradar24
- ~16,600 ftlowest point of the dropFlightradar24 data
- ~1 mintime the drop tookFlightradar24 data
- ~2 hr 15 minafter take-off (03:05 → 05:21 GMT)Flightradar24
- 7700general emergency codeFlightradar24
- 7500unlawful interference codeFlightradar24
- Tabukemergency landing, Saudi Arabiaflydubai
- 2 pilotsinjured and hospitalisedAeroTime, i24
Some reports give the drop as 33,000 ft to 17,000 ft. Flightradar24 data shows 34,000 ft to as low as 16,600 ft.
Sources: flydubai, Flightradar24, Reuters, Newsweek, AeroTime, Euronews, Ynet, i24NEWS, Israel Hayom, Unilad Tech (Flightradar24 data). Map: Natural Earth.
“The aircraft was successfully secured by on-duty flydubai crew travelling on the flight, who diverted and landed the aircraft safely at Tabuk Airport (TUU). All passengers and crew are safe and accounted for,” a Flydubai spokesperson said.
“At this early stage, the underlying reasons and motives behind this event are unknown and remain subject to a formal investigation. We urge all parties to refrain from premature speculation while authorities gather the facts,” the airline spokesperson added.
The Boeing 737 jet, with 174 passengers on board, sounded emergency alerts before landing at the Tabuk airport.
Before that, it rapidly lost altitude, which likely happened during the altercation in the cockpit. It is not clear yet what weapon was used in the attack, and how the attacker managed to bring it on board.
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flydubai FZ1073 · September 30, 2026
How the plane plunged
Flight-tracking data shows the Tel Aviv-bound jet dropping from 34,000 ft to about 16,600 ft in roughly a minute.
10,000 ft20,000 ft30,000 ft05:1905:2105:2205:2805:3305:37One minute, enlargedEverest · 29,032 ftSharp climb, then another descent: exact altitudes not published
−17,400 ftin about a minute
7700 · 05:287500 · 05:35
SLOWED DOWN
Time (GMT)
Altitude
10,000 ft20,000 ft30,000 ft05:1905:2105:2205:2805:3305:37One minute, enlargedEverest · 29,032 ftSharp climb, then another descent: exact altitudes not published
−17,400 ftin about a minute
7700 · 05:287500 · 05:35
- ~17,400 ftlost in about a minute: 34,000 ft to ~16,600 ftFlightradar24 data
- ~290 ft/saverage rate of the drop, about 88 metres every secondCalculated from the figures above
- 6.4×the height of the Burj Khalifa (2,717 ft), lost in one minute
- ~593 knotsspeed around the time of the dropFlightradar24 data, via Unilad Tech
What the data showsCruise at 34,000 ft; the drop starts at 05:21 GMT; a sharp climb and another descent follow; the jet settles around 15,000 ft by 05:33. The 7700 emergency code appears at 05:28 and 7500 at 05:35.
What is not yet knownThe exact altitudes of the climb and second descent have not been published. Israeli officials link the plunge to an alleged attack in the cockpit; flydubai says the investigation is ongoing.
Sources: Flightradar24; Unilad Tech (Flightradar24 data); flydubai; Israeli officials via Reuters. Chart not to scale in time: the minute of the drop is enlarged.
Netanyahu said passengers and crew members on the flight managed to subdue the attacker, preventing a major disaster.
“I salute these heroes who showed exceptional resourcefulness and courage. They saved many lives and prevented a major disaster,” said Netanyahu in his Wednesday statement, according to the AP report.
Who is FlyDubai pilot Smit Machchhar
Machchhar joined Flydubai in June 2022 as a captain, after serving with SpiceJet for 11 years, according to his LinkedIn profile.
He started his flying career with SpiceJet in June 2011, and was a senior commander and line training captain with the Indian airline in Mumbai before moving to Flydubai, an Emirati government-owned airline.
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With Flydubai, he is based out of Dubai. Machchhar’s LinkedIn profile lists his flying experience at 9,750 hours.
“Airline Captain with over 13 years of commercial flying experience on the Boeing 737 fleet, including extensive time as a Line Training Captain. Skilled in mentoring and assessing pilots, with a strong focus on safety, compliance, and operational excellence. Currently a Direct Entry Captain at Flydubai, seeking to contribute further to the training team,” his profile reads.
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
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