Netanyahu praises pilot injured during alleged attack on Dubai-Tel Aviv flight

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has praised Indian pilot Smit Machchhar after a Dubai-to-Tel Aviv flight was diverted to Saudi Arabia following an alleged violent confrontation in the cockpit. Netanyahu said on social media that Machchhar had been stabbed and seriously injured during an altercation with his co-pilot, whom passengers and Israeli officials accused of attempting to crash the aircraft. Netanyahu said the pilot’s actions prevented a major disaster and saved the lives of 174 people.

India’s embassy in Saudi Arabia said Machchhar was being treated in a hospital in Tabuk after the emergency landing. It said officials in Riyadh and Jeddah were monitoring his condition. Flight FZ 1073 had been travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv when it was diverted.

Passenger accounts described a sudden and steep loss of altitude as the aircraft approached the Jordanian border. Passenger Almog Italie said the plane dropped rapidly, comparing the sensation to a roller coaster. Flight-tracking data cited in the report indicated that the aircraft fell from nearly 34,000 feet to below 17,000 feet within about a minute.

Passengers said a struggle took place near the cockpit as people attempted to regain control. Miryam Shira Ohayon said the aircraft appeared to be out of control and that passengers subdued the co-pilot. She also said a doctor provided first aid.

The plane landed in Tabuk, where passengers waited before continuing to Tel Aviv on another flydubai aircraft. Passengers described the reception in Saudi Arabia as warm, despite Israel having no formal diplomatic ties with the kingdom. The source material did not provide details of any investigation or identify the co-pilot’s condition.