Passengers help subdue co-pilot after cockpit struggle on flydubai flight

A flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv was diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, after Israeli officials said the co-pilot stabbed the captain and attempted to take control of the aircraft. The Boeing 737 MAX 8, operating as flight FZ1073, was carrying more than 170 Israelis. Flight-tracking data cited by Reuters showed that the aircraft descended almost 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds before it was stabilised and landed safely.

According to Israeli officials, passengers and cabin crew intervened after hearing a struggle in the cockpit. Several passengers forced their way inside and subdued the co-pilot, whom one Israeli official identified as an Omani national. A passenger identified as Yaniv later told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he and another man entered the cockpit, removed the attacker and helped pull back the controls while the aircraft was sharply tilted.

He said the co-pilot appeared to be trying to damage the controls. The captain and co-pilot were taken to hospital in Tabuk. Passenger accounts cited by the sources said the captain had suffered serious injuries.

Some Israeli media later identified him as Smit Machchhar, an Indian national from Gujarat and former SpiceJet pilot, although the material says the details were reported by some sources and outlets. The flight remained in Saudi Arabia for about eight hours before passengers left on a replacement flydubai aircraft for Israel. The episode represented a rare arrival of Israelis in Saudi Arabia, which has no diplomatic relations with Israel.

Netanyahu said the passengers and crew had prevented a major disaster. He said the co-pilot had been arrested after landing and would be questioned by Saudi authorities. Israel’s Transport Ministry said it would launch a joint investigation, while Israel also reviewed security procedures for pilots flying into the country.