A co-pilot attacked the captain with a blade on a passenger jet bound for Israel, sending the aircraft into a steep dive. The gravely wounded captain fought off the co-pilot and opened the cockpit door, allowing passengers to rush in and overpower him, and the jet carrying 174 people landed safely in an emergency diversion.
Captain Stabbed, Jet Dives; Door Opened in a Pool of Blood
The incident occurred the previous day on Flydubai Flight FZ1073 from Dubai in the United Arab Emirates to Tel Aviv, Israel, according to The Associated Press and Reuters on the 1st. The Boeing 737 MAX was carrying 174 passengers, including 166 Israelis.
During the flight, the co-pilot, an Omani national, attacked the captain, veteran Indian pilot Sumeet Machar, 39, with a blade, after which the aircraft began losing altitude sharply. The jet plunged about 14,000 feet, or roughly 4,267 meters, in less than 30 seconds. It dropped from about 33,000 feet to 17,000 feet in roughly one minute, and part of the rudder was damaged in the process, the reports said.
Machar grappled with the co-pilot despite severe wounds to his head and hands. Mussayev Shota, an Israeli dentist who was on board, said Machar was bleeding heavily and that the cockpit floor was soaked with blood.
Machar, seriously injured, opened the cockpit door, which allowed passengers and crew to enter and subdue the attacker. Other Flydubai pilots who happened to be aboard then took over the controls and made an emergency landing at Tabuk Airport in northwestern Saudi Arabia.
Machar is being treated at a hospital in Tabuk and is said to be in relatively stable condition. The Indian Embassy in Saudi Arabia said it is in contact with his family and is discussing necessary support with Saudi authorities.
Veteran Captain Saves 174; Netanyahu Praises Him as a Hero
Machar, who made it possible for passengers to enter the cockpit at the height of the crisis, is a veteran captain with about 10,000 flight hours.
A native of Mumbai, India, he had served as a Boeing 737 captain at Flydubai since June 2022. Before that, he worked for 11 years at the Indian low-cost carrier SpiceJet, where he was a senior captain, and he is said to have logged a total of 9,750 hours flying the Boeing 737-800 and the 737 MAX 8 and MAX 9.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu credited Machar's response with preventing a major disaster and described him as a hero. Netanyahu said the captain fought back and resisted even after being stabbed and seriously wounded, and that by opening the cockpit door he allowed passengers and crew to overpower the attacker.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi also said on the 1st that Machar showed the courage to protect the lives of others despite grave danger and injury, and that his actions helped avert a major tragedy.
Israel Calls It an Attempted Terror Attack; Trump Withholds Judgment
After Machar opened the cockpit door, passengers took over. Yaniv Hayun said he was one of four passengers who ran into the cockpit and helped subdue the attacker.
Hayun said that when he saw the plane diving, he recalled something he had seen on television and pulled back the thrust levers. The program he referred to was "Mayday," a documentary series about aviation accidents. Other pilots then took over the aircraft and landed it.
U.S. President Donald Trump also mentioned the episode, saying a passenger who was an ordinary plumber with no flying experience had shown quick thinking. He stopped short of characterizing the incident, however, citing the possibility of terrorism alongside other explanations.
The exact motive remains unconfirmed. Netanyahu and Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz described the incident as a clear attempted jihadist terror attack, but Flydubai cautioned against hasty speculation before the investigation is complete. The AP also reported that the attacker's specific motive and background remain unclear.
The suspect has been arrested by Saudi authorities and is under investigation. Israel and the UAE have agreed to cooperate in the inquiry, while the passengers who were aboard traveled on to Israel on alternate flights.
