Archive · 1 Oct 2026
Flydubai FZ1073 Cockpit Crisis Ends in Safe Saudi Landing
A Flydubai plane was flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv when a serious fight happened in the cockpit.
Reports say the co-pilot injured the captain with a blade.
The plane suddenly lost a large amount of altitude.
Its radio signals warned air traffic controllers that there was an emergency and possible hijacking.
Israeli fighter jets were reportedly sent to monitor the aircraft.
Passengers and crew helped restrain the co-pilot and care for the injured captain.
The plane then landed safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
Some Israeli officials called the incident a planned terrorist attack, but Flydubai said the motive is still unknown.
Investigators from the United Arab Emirates will examine what happened.
Flydubai Flight FZ1073 was traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv when a cockpit altercation injured Indian captain Smit Machchhar.
Reports say the Omani co-pilot attacked Machchhar with a blade, but the motive and exact sequence remain under investigation.
The aircraft reportedly descended sharply, with accounts differing between more than 14,000 feet in under 30 seconds and more than 17,400 feet in under two minutes.
The flight transmitted Squawk 7700, then 7500, and later 7700 again; Israeli fighter jets were reportedly scrambled after the hijack signal.
Passengers, crew and reportedly additional pilots helped restrain the co-pilot and regain control before the aircraft landed safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
- Who
- Indian captain Smit Machchhar, his unnamed Omani co-pilot, other crew members, passengers and reportedly additional pilots aboard Flydubai Flight FZ1073.
- What
- A cockpit confrontation reportedly involving an attack on the captain, a steep descent, emergency and hijack signals, and the co-pilot being restrained.
- When
- The flight departed at 3:05 a.m. UTC; the reported altitude loss began at 5:21 a.m. UTC, followed by emergency and hijack signals.
- Where
- The aircraft flew from Dubai International Airport toward Tel Aviv before diverting to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
- Why
- Israeli officials and intelligence sources alleged an attempted terror plot to crash the aircraft, while Flydubai said the motive remains unknown.
Deliberate Terror Plot
Motive Not Established
Nature of the incident
Deliberate Terror Plot
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and intelligence sources described the episode as an attempted jihadist or 9/11-style attack intended to seize the aircraft and crash it toward Tel Aviv or Jerusalem.
Motive Not Established
Flydubai confirmed an altercation but did not confirm a terror plot, saying the motive remains unknown and must be determined by investigators.
Meaning of the hijack signal
Deliberate Terror Plot
The reported Squawk 7500 transmission indicated unlawful interference and was treated as evidence of a hijacking emergency, reportedly prompting Israeli fighter jets to scramble.
Motive Not Established
The transponder code is an emergency signal, not proof of who activated it, why it was activated or whether the incident was a planned attack.
How the cockpit was entered
Deliberate Terror Plot
Passenger accounts say Yaniv Hayoun restrained the co-pilot and that passengers and crew entered the cockpit to help regain control; some reports describe passengers breaching the flight deck.
Motive Not Established
Modern cockpit doors are designed to resist forced entry, and an Israeli government spokesperson said the injured captain activated the cockpit-door release. The exact sequence remains unclear.
- Flight
- Flydubai Flight FZ1073
- Aircraft
- Boeing 737 MAX 8
- Route
- Dubai to Tel Aviv, with an emergency diversion to Tabuk
- Passengers
- Reports put the number at approximately 170 to nearly 180
- Transponder signals
- Reports cite Squawk 7700, followed by 7500, and later 7700 again
- Reported descent
- Accounts range from more than 14,000 feet in under 30 seconds to more than 17,400 feet in under two minutes
- Investigation
- The United Arab Emirates will lead the investigation
