Passengers and off-duty pilots help land damaged flydubai aircraft in Saudi Arabia

A flydubai aircraft carrying 174 passengers landed safely in Saudi Arabia after its captain was stabbed and the plane entered a steep descent, according to accounts cited by India Today and Israeli media. Flight FZ 1073 was travelling towards Israel when the captain, Indian national Smit Machchhar, was attacked inside the cockpit by the co-pilot. The aircraft then lost about 17,000 feet in roughly two minutes, creating an emergency at altitude.

Despite his injuries, the captain managed to unlock the cockpit door before collapsing. That enabled passengers to enter and restrain the co-pilot, who was reportedly attempting to damage the aircraft’s controls. The supplied material says the co-pilot was suspected of being an Omani national, but gives no official confirmation of his identity or motive.

Four passengers were described as helping inside the cockpit: plumber Yaniv Hayun, dentist Dr Shota Musaev, insurance agency owner Assaf Rajuan and banker Zvika Manes. They used cables from headphones to restrain the co-pilot. Musaev treated the wounded captain and tried to control his bleeding.

Hayun, who was not a trained pilot, said he understood that the aircraft was descending dangerously and pulled the steering levers upwards. He attributed his knowledge of the controls to watching aviation-disaster programmes, including the series known as Mayday or Air Crash Investigations. He said the aircraft began to level out before the pilots took over.

Two off-duty pilots travelling on the aircraft then entered the cockpit, stabilised the plane and conducted an emergency landing at Tabuk airport in Saudi Arabia. The account says the aircraft’s rudder suffered major damage, with much of it reportedly torn from the tail, but it still landed safely. The Jerusalem Post reported that the additional pilots may have been placed on the flight in case rerouting became necessary during regional tensions.

The supplied material says there was no official statement confirming that explanation. The account describes the intervention of the captain, passengers and off-duty pilots as decisive in preventing a disaster. It does not provide details of the co-pilot’s arrest, the captain’s medical condition after landing, the cause of the attack or any formal findings by aviation authorities.