A co-pilot aboard a Dubai-to-Tel Aviv passenger flight stabbed the captain in an apparent attempt to crash the aircraft on Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said, describing the episode as a "very serious security incident" that was only averted by the rapid intervention of passengers onboard. The Boeing 737 MAX made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia after the cockpit struggle sent the aircraft into a terrifying mid-air plunge.
Flydubai Flight 1073, carrying 174 passengers — 166 of them Israeli nationals — was more than two hours into its journey when the incident unfolded. The aircraft dropped more than 4,000 metres in under 30 seconds before passengers stormed the cockpit and wrestled control of the situation from the co-pilot. All on board survived. The plane was subsequently diverted to Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Airport, known as Tabuk Airport, in northwestern Saudi Arabia.
What happened aboard Flydubai Flight 1073
According to witnesses, the crisis began when the co-pilot attacked the captain — identified as Indian national Smit Machchhar — inside the locked cockpit. Aviation tracking data recorded extreme fluctuations in the aircraft's altitude, consistent with a rapid, uncontrolled descent. Emergency transponder codes were activated in sequence: first a 7700 general emergency signal, then a 7500 code indicating unlawful interference, before reverting to 7700.
Passenger accounts paint a chaotic scene. One 70-year-old traveller from central Israel said he heard a woman cry out that someone was being stabbed in the cockpit before the plane began shaking and lurching toward the ground. He said a passenger then forced entry into the cockpit and reported that both pilots had been injured. Another passenger's mother described her daughter's ordeal as "crazy, like a movie," recounting how the aircraft "started to go down and to shake" and that one of the pilots was armed with a knife. Video taken onboard appeared to show two bloodied individuals lying on the cabin floor surrounded by other passengers.
Cluster2, which operates across several Saudi airports, confirmed that both the captain and first officer were injured and transported to hospital following the landing.
Passengers hailed as heroes — three to receive presidential honour
Israeli President Isaac Herzog praised those who intervened, naming five individuals to receive the Presidential Award for Civilian Heroism. Three men — Yaniv Hayoun, Tzvika Manes and Asaf Rajuan — physically overpowered and subdued the co-pilot. Dr Shota Musayev, a dentist travelling onboard, provided immediate medical treatment to the wounded captain. A fifth recipient, Tali Niss, was credited with identifying the danger early, alerting passengers and calling for assistance.
President Herzog noted that even after the co-pilot was neutralised, Niss continued acting — summoning off-duty pilots who were seated in the rear of the aircraft to come forward and take control of the plane. It was those off-duty crew members who ultimately flew the aircraft to safety in Tabuk.
Netanyahu met passengers when they landed and publicly saluted those involved. "They saved many lives and averted a terrible disaster," he said, adding that the pilot responsible for the stabbing had been arrested and was being interrogated by Saudi authorities. All passengers were subsequently flown to Tel Aviv on a second Flydubai service.
An Australian couple, Steven and Carol Moss, were among those onboard. Steven Moss — the son of a Holocaust survivor who founded the Katies retail chain — declined to speak publicly, saying through a contact that he was still struggling with the ordeal.
Netanyahu alleges 'radical indoctrination'; investigation under way
Netanyahu has publicly claimed the co-pilot, reported to be an Omani national who has not been formally named, had undergone "Islamist radical indoctrination." Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz went further, describing the incident as a "jihadist terrorist attack attempt" that was thwarted solely by the bravery of Israeli passengers.
However, investigators have so far determined the co-pilot was likely acting alone, and no formal finding regarding terrorism has been made. The United Arab Emirates has said it will independently investigate the circumstances and motives behind the incident, including whether it was connected to any militant activity.
Flydubai — the budget sister carrier of Emirates — said in a statement that the aircraft had been "successfully secured" by on-duty crew travelling onboard and that the "underlying reasons and motives" remained unknown pending a formal investigation. The airline urged restraint, asking "all parties to refrain from premature speculation while authorities gather the facts."
Israeli military scrambled jets; Ben Gurion Airport opens support area
The incident briefly triggered fears of a full-scale hijacking, and the Israeli military scrambled at least two fighter jets in response to the emergency signals transmitted by the aircraft. The Israel Airports Authority opened a dedicated waiting and information area at Ben Gurion Airport for the families of those onboard.
The episode has drawn comparisons to some of the most devastating acts of aviation terrorism in history. The Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief executive Alex Ryvchin described it as "reminiscent of Palestinian hijackings in the 1970s and of 9/11," and called for continued vigilance against terrorism.
The Saudi investigation is ongoing, and further details are expected as authorities piece together the sequence of events that brought a planeload of passengers within seconds of catastrophe.
