A Mumbai-born flydubai pilot Captain Smit Machchhar was in command of The Boeing 737 MAX 8 flydubai (FZ1073) aircraft flying from Dubai (UAE) to Tel Aviv (Israel) on Wednesday September 30, 2026 morning.
There were 174 passengers on board.
During the flight, the aircraft set the emergency transponder code 7700. Seven minutes later it switched to 7500, the code for unlawful interference. Flightradar24 data showed the jet losing more than 14,000 feet in 29 seconds.
The incident happened during the flight due to the struggle between the captain and copilot. Report said the captain was stabbed by the co-pilot (name and nationality hidden). Despite his serious injuries, Captain Machchhar is reported to have fought back and, while lying on the cockpit floor, activated the door release. This allowed passengers and crew to enter and overpower the alleged attacker.
A flydubai flight (FZ1073) made an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia on September 30 after a reported assault between the captain and first officer; the crew were hospitalized, later released, and passengers continued on a replacement aircraft.
Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Interior has issued a clarification on the emergency landing of a flydubai aircraft at Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Tabuk on September 30.
“The competent authorities in the Kingdom took the necessary measures in response to an emergency declared aboard flydubai flight FZ1073 and granted the aircraft clearance to make an emergency landing,” the ministry said in the statement adding, “The aircraft landed safely at 9.45 AM, carrying 174 passengers and eight crew members. “All passengers and crew members were provided with the necessary care.”
However, the passengers continued their journey to the destination later that day, while the captain and first officer were taken to hospital for medical treatment, the statement reads.
Captain Smit Machchhar, the flydubai pilot who helped save 174 passengers during a cockpit attack, was airlifted from Saudi Arabia to the UAE for treatment.
Indian President, Prime Minister, Israeli Prime Minister and other leaders hailed Captain Smit Machchhar as a hero whose courage helped save hundreds of lives.
He is to be awarded with various courage citations along with cash prizes. Likewise, Israel also announced to honor five Israeli citizens who showed their courage inside the aircraft during the incident due to the struggle between the captain and copilot.
Meanwhile, flydubai suspends flights to Israel after FZ1073 ‘security incident’ and Emirates suspends Tel Aviv codeshare flights
(Compiled news based on Gulf News sources with credit)
