Flydubai FZ1073 incident: Was Smit Machchhar attacked with a knife or crash axe?

From Dubai to an emergency landing in Tabuk, Al Arabiya English uses AI visuals to piece together what unfolded aboard Flydubai flight FZ1073. pic.twitter.com/ylDbeehqkO

— Al Arabiya English (@AlArabiya_Eng) September 30, 2026

Why it matters

The incident has raised a basic aviation-security question — how did a co-pilot gain access to a weapon inside the cockpit?

Pilots interviewed by Reuters said they undergo security screening and are generally subject to the same restrictions as passengers regarding weapons such as knives and guns. But the cockpit itself necessarily contains equipment that can be used in an emergency, including a crash axe.

Explainer · flydubai FZ1073 · Sept 30, 2026

How passengers stopped the flydubai cockpit attack

A Dubai–Tel Aviv flight, an injured Indian captain, and the passengers and off-duty pilots who regained control. Investigation ongoing.

01Inside the cockpit02The 14,000-ft plunge03Who did what

How passengers stopped the cockpit attack

Plan view of the front of the aircraft. Positions are illustrative.

​Tap to pause​Paused · tap to play

​

​​​

CabinGalleyCockpit ​​​ ​​​ ​​​Capt. Machchhar​Co-pilot​Y. Hayun​Passenger​Crew​Off-duty pilot​Off-duty pilot RESTRAINED​−14,000 FT IN UNDER A MINUTETABUK

1. 01Pilot confrontation
2. 02Machchhar stabbed
3. 03Aircraft plunges
4. 04Cockpit door opens
5. 05Passengers enter
6. 06Attacker restrained
7. 07Off-duty pilots take control
8. 08Emergency landing in Tabuk

01Pilot confrontation

A confrontation breaks out between the two pilots in the cockpit.

AttributedIsraeli officials; flydubai calls it an ‘altercation’

02Machchhar stabbed

Israeli officials say the co-pilot stabbed Captain Smit Machchhar, who ended up on the cockpit floor.

AttributedIsraeli officials, Reuters

03Aircraft plunges

The jet drops nearly 14,000 ft in under a minute.

Confirmed / reportedReuters analysis of flight-tracking data

04Cockpit door opens

Despite his injuries, Machchhar activates the cockpit door release.

AttributedIsraeli officials, Reuters

05Passengers enter

Passengers and a crew member rush into the cockpit.

AttributedIsraeli officials; passenger accounts

06Attacker restrained

Passenger Yaniv Hayun says he put the attacker in a choke hold and pulled him out.

AttributedHayun’s own account

07Off-duty pilots take control

Hayun says he grabbed the controls and pulled; two flydubai pilots travelling as passengers then took over.

Confirmed / reportedHayun; Reuters; flydubai

08Emergency landing in Tabuk

The plane lands safely in Saudi Arabia. Both pilots are taken to hospital.

Confirmed / reportedflydubai; Reuters

​Captain​Co-pilot​Passengers​Crew​Off-duty pilots

Sequence based on accounts from Israeli officials, flydubai and passengers; exact timings have not been made public. Figures are not to scale and positions are illustrative.

The 14,000-foot plunge

From Dubai departure to the Tabuk landing

0k5k10k15k20k25k30k35k​​

34,000 ftCruising altitude before the plunge

Nearly 14,000 ft lostInitial plunge in under a minute, about 2 hr 15 min after take-off

~16,600 ftLowest reading in flight-tracking data

~15,000 ftRecovery: a sharp climb, another descent, then level by 05:33 GMT

0 ftDubai departure · Tabuk landing

1. 03:05 GMT

   Dubai departure

   Bound for Tel Aviv
2. Cruise

   34,000 ft

   Over Saudi Arabia
3. 05:21 GMT

   Rapid descent

   Nearly 14,000 ft in under a minute
4. By 05:33 GMT

   Recovery

   Settles around 15,000 ft
5. Diversion

   Turns towards Tabuk

   Saudi Arabia
6. ~06:58 GMT

   Tabuk landing

   Last tracking signal; landed safely

DUBAITABUK

Sources differ on the exact figures

• Reuters, from flight-tracking data: nearly 14,000 ft in under a minute (initial plunge)
• Flightradar24 data: 34,000 ft to as low as 16,600 ft within about a minute
• Al Jazeera: 33,000 ft to 17,000 ft in about a minute

Who did what aboard FZ1073?

Based on Reuters, flydubai, Israeli officials and passengers’ own accounts

Smit Machchhar

Injured captain · India

• Captain of the flight; stabbed in the cockpit, according to Israeli officialsIsraeli officials, Reuters
• On the cockpit floor, he activated the cockpit door releaseReuters
• In hospital in Tabuk, stable according to initial reportsIndian Embassy, Riyadh

YH

Yaniv Hayun

Passenger · Israel

• Says he put the attacker in a choke hold and pulled him out of the cockpitHayun’s own account
• “I jumped back in there, grabbed the controls, started pulling the controls.”Hayun, as reported
• Says what he knew came from watching TV’s Mayday: Air Crash InvestigationHayun’s own account

Off-duty pilots

flydubai crew travelling as passengers

• Two flydubai pilots on board as passengers took over the controlsReuters
• flydubai says on-duty crew travelling on the flight secured the plane, diverted it and landed it safelyflydubai
• The aircraft landed in Tabuk with 174 people on boardReuters

The co-pilot, the alleged attacker, was arrested by Saudi authorities, according to reports. Motives remain unknown and are subject to a formal investigation, flydubai says.

Sources: Reuters; flydubai; Flightradar24; Al Jazeera; Israeli officials; passenger accounts reported by JNS and Sunday Guardian; Indian Embassy, Riyadh. Photo: Reuters. Map: Natural Earth.

Express InfoGenIE

Eric Schouten, head of aviation intelligence consultancy Dyami, told the news agency that the airline is responsible for vetting people who enter the cockpit and that procedures vary between countries. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency said oversight of flydubai’s certification and safety rests with the UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority, including requirements concerning flight crews and their fitness to fly.

What happened inside the cockpit?

According to Israeli officials and passenger accounts, the co-pilot attacked Machchhar during the Dubai-to-Tel Aviv flight. The aircraft then went into a rapid descent, falling nearly 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds, according to Reuters.

Despite being seriously injured, Machchhar managed to open the cockpit door. Passengers then entered, restrained the attacker and helped regain control of the situation. Two other flydubai pilots who were travelling on the aircraft subsequently took control and landed the plane in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.

Flydubai has confirmed that FZ1073 experienced an incident while flying from Dubai to Ben Gurion Airport and landed safely in Tabuk, but said its teams were working with authorities and that further details would be provided as they became available.

What is still unknown?

Several key questions remain unanswered:

1. What weapon was actually used? A knife and a crash axe have both been mentioned, but neither has been independently confirmed.
2. How did the attacker obtain it?
3. Was the weapon already inside the cockpit?
4. Was a crash axe involved, as Netanyahu suggested?
5. What was the attacker’s motive?
6. Was the attack premeditated?
7. Did the attacker intend to crash the aircraft?

Flydubai has urged against premature speculation while authorities investigate the incident.