A FlyDubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv nearly ended in catastrophe Wednesday when one pilot allegedly stabbed the other at the controls, sending the Boeing 737 MAX into a terrifying plunge before passengers and crew stormed the cockpit and wrestled the jet back under control. The aircraft ultimately diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, where it landed safely with everyone aboard accounted for.
Flight FZ 1073 was roughly two and a half hours into its journey when the attack unfolded, according to The New York Times, which reported that “one pilot stabbed another at the controls.” The captain, identified by NPR as Indian national Capt. Smit Machchhar, managed to open the cockpit door after being wounded, and that single act may have saved everyone on board — it gave passengers and crew the chance to rush in and subdue the attacker, the outlet reported.
A Wild Plunge Near the Jordanian Border
The descent that followed was harrowing by any measure, though exact figures vary across reports. The Times described the plane dropping more than 17,000 feet in less than two minutes, while a separate account carried by WRAL, citing the Associated Press, put the drop at roughly 33,000 feet down to 17,000 feet in about one minute. During the chaos, the aircraft transmitted the universal emergency code 7700, then switched to code 7500 — the signal for unlawful interference, including a possible hijacking, per that same wire account.
The jet flew an erratic circle close to the Jordanian border before touching down in Tabuk, the wire report noted. Flight crew ultimately secured the aircraft and carried out the emergency landing, according to the earlier NPR account. FlyDubai confirmed the outcome in a statement, writing that “all passengers and crew are safe and accounted for,” and said the on-duty crew members diverted and landed the aircraft safely.
Passengers Continue On To Israel
With the original jet grounded in Saudi Arabia, the stranded travelers were eventually flown onward to Israel aboard a different FlyDubai aircraft, NPR reported. Passenger counts have varied by outlet — the Times cited a range of 160 to 180 people aboard, while the wire report put the figure at 182, mostly Israelis, and the Times of Israel reported that 166 Israelis and eight other passengers from the initial flight arrived in Israel that evening.
According to the Times of Israel's reporting, Israeli or regional officials identified the suspected attacker as an Omani citizen, and he was under arrest. The airline itself was careful not to speculate on why the attack happened, stating plainly that “the underlying reasons and motives behind this event are unknown and remain subject to a formal investigation.”
Fallout Across the Region's Skies
FlyDubai moved quickly to suspend all flights to and from Israel while the investigation continues, the airline said in its own statement. Emirates likewise suspended its codeshare flights with FlyDubai to and from Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport until further notice, the Times of Israel reported. Meanwhile, Israeli authorities have begun tightening security checks on pilots flying into the country, according to the BBC.
Israel also arranged a special repatriation effort to bring home Israelis who were left stranded in Dubai after the suspension took effect, the Times of Israel reported, citing El Al's planned service. As of the latest reporting, the precise cause behind the mid-air stabbing remained unresolved, with the airline and investigators alike describing the motive as unknown pending further inquiry.
