TEL AVIV, Israel — A terrifying incident unfolded on Wednesday when a pilot stabbed a fellow flight crew member aboard a FlyDubai jetliner en route to Israel. The aircraft, which was flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv, experienced a dramatic and sharp descent after the attack. Passengers, fearing for their lives, rushed into the cockpit to intervene. The plane managed to stabilize, allowing for an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia.
The motive behind the attack remains unclear, prompting heightened security measures, including the scrambling of Israeli warplanes due to worries about a potential hijacking. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that Saudi authorities apprehended the attacking pilot, whose identity has not been released.
Upon landing in Saudi Arabia, the shaken passengers were later transferred to another flight heading to Israel, where they received a warm welcome from onlookers. One passenger, Naama Bershadski, expressed her fear during the ordeal, recalling thoughts of impending death while praying for survival.
Aviation specialists were astonished by the plane's ability to land safely after experiencing an extreme descent severe enough to tear most of the rudder from the tail. A video shared by Netanyahu's office showcased passenger Yaniv Hayoun, who bravely confronted the attacker, appearing with a bloodied shirt and being hailed as a hero by the Prime Minister.
Responding to a passenger's cry for assistance after witnessing the stabbing, Hayoun and others forced their way into the cockpit. There, they discovered the wounded pilot trying to sabotage the aircraft's controls. Hayoun recounted, "The door apparently wasn't locked, and we managed to open it somehow," adding that the injured pilot was on the opposite side of the door, complicating their efforts.
The struggle that ensued lasted several minutes, with Yaniv taking control of the aircraft momentarily before the crew took over. According to Tzvika Manes, another passenger involved in the fray, it was a lengthy effort to subdue the attacking pilot. Dentist Shota Musayev, also a responder, described the urgency of the situation, emphasizing that they had mere seconds to act to prevent a catastrophe. He recounted providing care to the injured pilot, who remained conscious during the ordeal.
Netanyahu identified the victimized pilot as Capt. Smit Machchhar from India, acknowledging his bravery and resilience amid critical injury. The Indian Embassy in Saudi Arabia indicated that Machchhar is currently in stable condition. Netanyahu praised him for fighting back and enabling the passengers to overpower the attacker, thereby averting a possible disaster in flight.
After the conflict subsided, footage captured from within the aircraft depicted two bloodied individuals on the floor. Both the captain and the first officer sustained injuries during the incident. The plane landed at Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Tabuk around 9:45 a.m., approximately an hour after the distress call was made.
Initial reports indicate that there were members of Israeli security and air marshals among the passengers who intervened. Following the incident, FlyDubai announced that all its flights to and from Israel would be suspended pending the outcome of the investigation. Saudi authorities confirmed they are also conducting an inquiry into the matter.
During this high-stress situation, the performance of the air traffic control was marked by initial denial of clearance to land in both Saudi Arabia and Jordan. A terrified pilot made a "mayday" call, indicating a hijacking, but was instructed to wait for Jordanian military clearance. Ultimately, they returned to Saudi airspace and managed to land in Tabuk.
Experts emphasized the miraculous nature of the safe landing, given that the airplane descended from 33,000 feet to 17,000 feet in roughly one minute. According to former United Airlines pilot Steve Arroyo, the severe forces acting on the aircraft during the rapid descent should have caused it to disintegrate—indicating that the crew managed an extraordinary feat. Jeff Guzzetti, a former safety investigator, noted that the altitude may have been crucial in allowing the crew to recover control of the aircraft.
This is not the first incident in which aircraft carrying Israeli passengers have made emergency landings in Saudi Arabia. The kingdom has facilitated such landings since changing its policy regarding Israeli overflights in 2022. Since then, the UAE has become a favored destination for Israeli travelers, particularly following the normalization of ties in 2020.
