Co-Pilot Allegedly Stabs Flydubai Captain, Plane Lands Safely

Captain Smit Machchhar lay covered in blood on the cockpit floor of the flydubai Boeing 737 MAX. The Indian national had been stabbed by his co-pilot, an Omani national, aboard flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv. Still fighting as he bled, he managed to click the release that unlocked the cockpit door. Then he collapsed.

“The pilot, he was such a hero... he was fighting the co-pilot who was stabbing him. He managed to open the door,” Israeli journalist Neria Kraus said.

That single motion left the door between the flight deck and the cabin unlocked, with the captain down and the co-pilot still inside. The aircraft plunged sharply. Over Saudi Arabia, flight FZ1073 transmitted squawk 7700 — the four-digit code an airliner’s transponder broadcasts to tell every controller watching that the flight is in general emergency — then switched to 7500, the international signal for hijacking, or unlawful interference with the aircraft. One hundred seventy-four people were on board the flydubai Boeing 737 MAX bound from Dubai to Tel Aviv. The plane plunged nearly 14,000 feet in under 30 seconds. Some reports put the drop at more than 17,000 feet in under two minutes.

In the cabin Mika Bauman felt the jet drop and begin to spin as children cried. A fifty-one-year-old passenger sustained injuries to his upper body and would later be listed in mild condition.

Passengers and crew stormed the cockpit and overpowered the co-pilot. Those who entered found him bashing at the plane’s control panel. Ohayon then pulled the control yoke toward himself.

“The plane gradually began to level out, and then the pilot said that he was taking control,” Ohayon said.

Asaf Rajuan helped restrain the attacker, his forehead still bloodied from the struggle. Zvika Meness and other passengers tied the co-pilot with his own zip ties and with the aircraft’s multimedia headphones. Relief flydubai pilots already traveling on the flight as on-duty crew took the seats and assumed control of the Boeing 737 MAX.

Machchhar had worked at SpiceJet for over eleven years before joining flydubai in June 2022. At the Indian carrier he flew as a senior commander and line training captain, the pilot who checked and guided others on the job. By the time he moved to the Dubai government-owned airline as a direct-entry captain, his logbook held roughly 9,750 flying hours on Boeing 737 aircraft and more than thirteen years of commercial experience. He hailed from Mumbai. Flydubai operates an all-Boeing 737 fleet out of Dubai International; it opened direct Dubai–Tel Aviv service in November 2020 and kept daily flights on the route, a path that normally crosses Saudi and Jordanian airspace and draws many Israeli nationals.

The cause of the altercation between the two pilots was not clear. Flydubai stated that the underlying reasons for the event remained unknown and warned against premature speculation while authorities gathered the facts.

Donald Trump praised the captain’s actions and called him a hero. “A terrorist... he stabbed the pilot... the pilot in bad shape had the sense to, amazing, a hero, to open the door!” Trump said.

Benjamin Netanyahu named what the captain had done in plain numbers. “He saved the lives of 174 people, including Israeli citizens and other nationals,” he said. He had already told the public, “All passengers are out of harm’s way.”

Narendra Modi called him out by name. “Captain Smit Machchhar is a HERO...In the face of the gravest danger and despite being seriously injured, he showed immense courage and an unwavering resolve to protect...lives of others,” the Indian prime minister wrote. In another statement Modi said, “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. His valour helped save hundreds of lives and avert a great tragedy.”

Across Israel the same name moved through ordinary voices. Einav Avizemer said, “I want to take this opportunity and thank the Indian pilot. What a hero.” Talia Yoseph told everyone watching, “I want every single one of you to know the name Smit Machchhar.”

The jet diverted and landed safely at Tabuk Airport in northwestern Saudi Arabia. Both pilots were taken to hospital. Machchhar underwent surgery and was reported in stable condition. The Indian embassy in Saudi Arabia said he was receiving necessary medical attention, that officials were in touch with his family and with Saudi authorities, and that it hoped he would recover from his injuries. The co-pilot was arrested in Saudi Arabia and was being interrogated by Saudi authorities.

Passengers remained on the ground for hours before flydubai relief flight FZ8455 carried them to Tel Aviv. They arrived roughly ten hours after the incident. Lital Shachaf was among those who came off. “I just can say that it was a miracle. It was awful, crazy, and we thank God that we survived it, we didn't think we will make it but thank God we are in Israel. We are back home. And we are happy to see everyone here,” she said.

Crowds of onlookers played music, sang, danced and waved Israeli flags at Ben Gurion Airport as the doors of the relief flight opened. A number of people were very emotional and crying as they came off the plane. All passengers walked off unaided.