Flydubai pilot stabs colleague in cockpit; Tel Aviv-bound flight diverts to Saudi Arabia as investigations open

Update (1 Oct 2026): Flydubai has confirmed an altercation on the flight deck, and multiple outlets report that one pilot stabbed the other before passengers and crew subdued him. The injured captain is in stable condition in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia and the UAE have opened investigations, the passengers have returned to Tel Aviv, and Flydubai has suspended flights to and from Israel.

One of the pilots of Flydubai flight FZ1073, flying from Dubai International Airport to Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv, stabbed the other pilot in the cockpit during the flight on Wednesday, 30 September 2026. Passengers and crew members entered the cockpit and subdued the attacker. The aircraft diverted and made an emergency landing at Tabuk Airport in north-western Saudi Arabia. The aircraft was a Boeing 737 MAX, and DW specified a 737 MAX 8. It took off from Dubai at 03:05 GMT. About 174 people were on board, a figure cited by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Some outlets give "more than 170". Most of the passengers were Israeli.

Flydubai confirmed that an altercation occurred on the flight deck. The airline said the flight was secured by on-duty Flydubai crew travelling on the flight, who diverted and landed the aircraft safely at Tabuk. DW quoted a Flydubai spokesperson as saying: "The aircraft has landed safely in Tabuk Airport and all passengers are safe and accounted for." Flydubai said the reasons and motives behind the incident are unknown and subject to a formal investigation. The Hindu quoted a statement from an airline spokesperson: "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." Flydubai has suspended its flights to and from Israel pending the investigation.

The emergency occurred while the aircraft was near Jordan or the Israel–Jordan border. The aircraft lost altitude sharply during the incident. According to flight-tracking data from Flightradar24, it transmitted the general emergency code 7700 and then 7500, the code for unlawful interference or hijacking. BBC, citing Flightradar24, said the transponder was later switched back to the general emergency signal. Israel scrambled fighter jets toward the aircraft after the emergency signals.

Netanyahu named the stabbed captain as Indian national Smit Machchhar. He was being treated in a hospital in Tabuk. The Indian Embassy in Saudi Arabia said he was in stable condition. Saudi authorities detained and questioned the alleged attacker. Netanyahu said this, and so did a regional official cited by the Associated Press, according to The Guardian.

On the day of the incident, Al Jazeera quoted a statement from Netanyahu's office: "The incident is under control, and all measures are currently being deployed in order to return the Israeli passengers safely to Israel." The passengers were flown to Tel Aviv on a replacement Flydubai aircraft on 30 September.

Saudi Arabia opened an investigation into the incident. On Thursday, 1 October, the UAE announced its own investigation, including into whether there was any link to "terrorist" activity or purpose. BBC attributes the announcement to the UAE's chief prosecutor.

Netanyahu said the attacking pilot apparently tried to crash the aircraft and kill those on board. He said Israel would follow, and possibly take part in, the investigation. Asked on Fox News about possible Iranian involvement, he said: "It's too early to say." The Guardian quoted him as saying: "We'll get to the root of this attacker, whether he had accomplices, whether Iran was behind it. I think we'll find out very soon." On X, he said of the captain: "Despite being stabbed and seriously injured, he fought back, resisted, opened the cockpit door, and enabled passengers and crew to overpower the attacker - preventing a catastrophic mid-air disaster."

Defence Minister Israel Katz said the incident "was a jihadist terrorist attack attempt, which was thwarted only thanks to the bravery of several Israeli passengers who broke into the cockpit and overpowered the terrorist", according to The Hindu. The reports reviewed by Vocemundi do not include supporting details from him. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir also called it a terror attack. Danny Danon, Israel's UN ambassador, told Fox News there was "no doubt it was a terror attack from a radical individual". He said investigators have not established a link to any specific organisation or state. In a briefing to diplomats, the Israeli Foreign Ministry called the incident an attempted terrorist attack against Israelis, the UAE and the Abraham Accords, aimed at damaging Israel's relationship with the UAE.

Transport Minister Miri Regev called for Flydubai flights to be suspended. Amir Hayek, a former Israeli ambassador to the UAE, said the airline should be allowed to investigate. Opposition leaders Yair Lapid and Avigdor Liberman accused the government's camp of seeking political advantage from the incident. President Isaac Herzog told the BBC it was "an amazing, heroic event of resilient people who work together". He said Israel would keep acting together with its Emirati partners. Foreign Minister Gideon Saar spoke with his UAE counterpart, Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Afterwards, he said both sides expressed determination to strengthen relations and to work together against extremist elements.

US President Donald Trump told reporters in the Oval Office: "I did speak to Bibi Netanyahu at length about this event, and it seems as though the co-pilot was perhaps a terrorist or perhaps a whack-job, and he stabbed the pilot." The Hindu reports that he also hailed the stabbed pilot as a hero. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called Captain Machchhar a hero whose courage helped save hundreds of lives. On X, Modi wrote: "In the face of the gravest danger and despite being seriously injured, he showed immense courage and an unwavering resolve to protect the lives of others." German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul strongly condemned the incident as a serious attack on civil aviation and called for quick, thorough clarification.

A regional official familiar with the Saudi-led investigation told the Associated Press: "All possible scenarios, from terrorism to mental disorders, are being looked into. Nothing is ruled out for now."

What is reported

According to Israeli officials speaking anonymously to The Guardian, and to Netanyahu as reported by France 24, the alleged attacker was the co-pilot, an Omani national. The Guardian reported no comment from Oman or the UAE. The Hindu wrote that the co-pilot's identity had not been disclosed.

A regional official cited by the Associated Press, according to The Guardian, said Saudi investigators are cooperating with the UAE, the US, Oman and Israel to determine the attacker's motive. An Israeli security source told BBC Arabic that Israel is also running a separate investigation led by Mossad, and that its preliminary findings suggest the alleged attacker intended to crash the plane. The source said investigators interviewed passengers in Tel Aviv. The Guardian reported that Israel's transport ministry said it would carry out a joint investigation with the defence establishment. It also reported that UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan agreed to Israel's involvement in the investigation after speaking with Netanyahu. Netanyahu said the alleged attacker is expected to be transferred to the UAE. According to MercoPress, no authority has announced charges.

According to DW, Netanyahu ordered authorities to "ramp up" security on Israeli and non-Israeli carriers. BBC reported that Netanyahu told CNN that Israel had no warning or advance intelligence about the incident. The Guardian reported that, before the incident, the Israeli military said it had no specific intelligence of an imminent threat. It also reported that Lapid said a Tuesday-night security briefing did not mention a related threat. This came days after Netanyahu warned of an unspecified security threat around the October election. According to The Guardian and Daily Sabah, a spokesperson for Netanyahu's office initially said the incident was not a hijacking.

According to The Guardian, a statement from Tabuk (Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz) airport said both pilots were wounded and the other passengers were safe. Sources close to the Saudi investigation, cited by the Associated Press according to The Guardian, said Israeli security forces and air marshals were among those who stopped the attack.

Passengers have described the incident:

• Yaniv Hayoun (spelled Hayun by the BBC) said he put the attacker in a chokehold and pulled the controls before other crew took over. "I grabbed the attacker, put him in a chokehold, and dragged him out first," he said during a meeting with Netanyahu. He also said: "He was trying to destroy the instruments to disable the plane."
• Almog Itali said relief pilots on board, who were European and one of them British, entered the cockpit, stabilised the plane and landed it, according to The Guardian.
• Zvika Meness told Kan News that passengers tied up the attacker with his own zip ties and multimedia headphones. He said: "There are children and families here who have been through a very severe, highly traumatic event."
• Miryam Shira Ohayon said a doctor on board treated the wounded pilot, according to The Guardian.
• Passengers who spoke to Channel 12 said they heard shouts from the front of the plane and that it dipped steeply. They said they stayed on board after landing, surrounded by a heavy Saudi security presence.

MercoPress reported that 166 of the 174 people on board were Israelis and that the aircraft landed in Tabuk at 06:58 GMT. The Hindu reported that most of the plane's rudder was ripped off the tail during the sudden drop, and that the jet reportedly came close to the speed of sound during the plunge. The Guardian reported that Israeli officials announced a "heroism" award for four Israeli passengers. The Guardian also reported that, according to the Indian consulate in the UAE, India's ambassador to the UAE met the captain's family and briefed them on his recovery.

What is disputed

• Nationality of the injured pilot. Netanyahu identified him as Indian national Captain Smit Machchhar, and the Indian Embassy and Modi referred to him. According to MercoPress, Israel's UN ambassador Danny Danon identified the injured pilot as Emirati.
• Which pilot attacked which. Most reports, including The Guardian, DW, The Hindu, France 24, WSJ and MercoPress, say the co-pilot stabbed the captain. An earlier Guardian report on 30 September described a pilot stabbing "his co-pilot".
• Size and speed of the altitude drop.
• The Guardian and MercoPress give about 17,000 ft (around 5,200 m) in about two minutes. MercoPress attributes this figure to Netanyahu.
• DW gives some 17,000 ft (5,180 m) in a matter of minutes.
• BBC gives more than 17,000 ft, with no duration.
• The Hindu gives nearly or more than 14,000 ft (4,300 m) in less than 30 seconds. It also cites Flightradar24 for a drop from 33,000 ft to 17,000 ft in about a minute.
• When the incident began. BBC says about two hours into the flight. The Guardian says about two and a half hours after takeoff.
• Who took control of and landed the aircraft.
• Flydubai says on-duty Flydubai crew travelling on the flight did so. BBC reports that the airline said two such crew landed the plane.
• DW, France 24 and The Guardian refer to off-duty or relief pilots on board.
• France 24, citing The Jerusalem Post, reported that four Flydubai pilots were on board on standby because of regional rerouting.
• CGTN said early media reports had the cabin crew entering the cockpit and taking control.
• When the passengers reached Israel. The Guardian says about eight hours after the emergency landing, on Wednesday evening. The Hindu says more than 10 hours later. MercoPress says the replacement aircraft landed in Tel Aviv in the afternoon.
• Flight path near Jordan. BBC said the aircraft briefly entered Jordanian airspace. The Guardian and The Hindu described an erratic circle near the Jordanian border.

What remains unclear

• The attacker's identity. The reports reviewed by Vocemundi do not include the alleged attacker's name. They do not include confirmation of his nationality from Oman, the UAE, Saudi Arabia or Flydubai.
• Motive. The motive is unknown. The reports do not describe any evidence of accomplices or of links to any organisation or state.
• Saudi position. The reports do not include any statement from Saudi authorities on the detention, on charges or on the planned transfer to the UAE.
• The knife. The reports do not describe how a knife came to be in the cockpit.
• Flight recorders. The reports do not include findings from the flight data or cockpit voice recorders.
• Injuries. The reports do not detail the injuries of the captain or of the second wounded pilot mentioned in the Tabuk airport statement.
• The injured pilot's nationality. One report contradicts it, and the reports do not resolve the discrepancy.
• The descent and damage. The reports do not reconcile the different figures for the altitude drop. They do not independently corroborate the reported rudder damage.
• The crew who landed the aircraft. The reports do not clarify the exact number and role of the relief or off-duty crew who landed it.

Analysis

The basic facts are now well established across multiple outlets, and Flydubai has confirmed an altercation on the flight deck. One pilot stabbed the other, passengers and crew subdued him, and the aircraft landed safely in Tabuk. What remains contested is why it happened.

Senior Israeli figures, including the defence minister, the national security minister, the UN ambassador and the Foreign Ministry, have described it as a terror attack. Netanyahu said it was too early to say whether Iran was involved. Danon said no link to any organisation or state has been established, and Flydubai and a regional official close to the Saudi-led inquiry say nothing has been ruled out. The account that the attacker intended to crash the plane rests on Netanyahu's on-record statement that he apparently tried to crash the aircraft, on preliminary findings conveyed by an anonymous Israeli security source, and on passenger accounts. According to The Guardian, passenger Miryam Shira Ohayon told reporters a pilot had attempted to "basically carry out a suicide attack on the plane", and Yaniv Hayoun said the attacker was trying to disable the plane. Earlier, according to DW, Israel's Channel 12 reported that authorities were investigating whether one of the pilots had deliberately tried to crash the aircraft. The attacker's reported Omani nationality rests on anonymous Israeli officials and Netanyahu, without confirmation from Oman, the UAE, Saudi Arabia or the airline.

The investigation spans several states. Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Israel are investigating, and an anonymous regional official cited by the Associated Press describes cooperation with the US and Oman. Netanyahu says the suspect is expected to be transferred to the UAE. How findings are shared, and which jurisdiction brings any charges, remains unclear. No charges have been announced.

The incident also has diplomatic and domestic dimensions. Israel's Foreign Ministry framed it as an attempt to damage ties with the UAE and the Abraham Accords. Israeli and Emirati officials have publicly stressed continued cooperation. Flydubai has suspended flights to and from Israel, and Israel's transport minister had called for such a suspension. In Israel, opposition leaders have accused the government's camp of seeking political advantage ahead of the October election.

For aviation safety, open questions include how a knife reached the cockpit and what the flight recorders show. Investigators may also turn to crew screening and cockpit procedures.

Produced by the Vocemundi newsroom with AI assistance.