What happened inside the Flydubai flight to Israel? What we know so far

Flydubai Flight Diverted After Cockpit Attack and Rapid Descent

Activelifezero.com – A Flydubai flight bound for Israel made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia after an alleged attack inside the cockpit led to a dramatic loss of altitude, a hijacking alert and a struggle for control of the aircraft.

The incident unfolded Wednesday aboard Flight FZ1073, which had departed Dubai at 6:05 a.m. local time for the Tel Aviv area. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said one pilot stabbed the other and attempted to interfere with the plane’s systems. Passengers, cabin crew and reserve pilots traveling in the cabin then helped stop the alleged attacker and stabilize the situation.

The aircraft landed safely at Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia at 9:54 a.m., after diverting from its original route. Both pilots were taken to hospital.

Flight data showed a sudden, severe descent

Roughly two hours after departure, the plane sharply changed direction and began dropping rapidly. Flight-tracking information showed that it lost 17,400 feet in less than two minutes before the emergency diversion.

At 8:31 a.m., the flight sent a distress call. Within minutes, its transponder broadcast code 7500, the internationally recognized signal used to indicate an aircraft hijacking.

The speed of the descent triggered panic throughout the cabin. Mika Bauman, a passenger, described the frightening physical sensation as the aircraft fell and moved erratically.

“We just felt the plane drop completely and start spinning a little, and everyone was screaming, there were children crying.”

Bauman said she believed she might not survive.

“I was just sure I was going to die.”

For travelers, a rapid descent can be especially alarming because there may be little immediate indication of why the aircraft is moving so abruptly. In this case, passengers were confronting both the sudden maneuver and reports of violence at the front of the plane.

Passengers and crew moved toward the cockpit

Video from inside the aircraft captured a chaotic scene near the cockpit entrance. Several people gathered at the doorway while cabin crew urged other travelers to remain seated. A crew member called for medical help, and people were heard asking whether anyone aboard could fly the plane.

Cabin staff also worked to open a first-aid kit as those near the cockpit tried to assist the injured and regain control of the situation.

Yaniv Hayoun told Netanyahu that he and other passengers entered the cockpit area, restrained the alleged attacker and pulled him away from the controls. He said he placed the man in a chokehold during the confrontation.

Hayoun then took hold of the aircraft controls long enough to help the plane begin leveling out. He said his familiarity with aviation emergencies came from watching a television program that reconstructs real-world crashes.

“I watch Air Crash Investigation, Mr. Prime Minister — really. The plane started to level out a bit, and then the pilot told me he was taking over the controls from there.”

His account illustrates the extraordinary nature of the emergency: passengers were forced into a role normally reserved for trained flight personnel while the aircraft was still in the air.

Reserve pilots were among those able to help

Netanyahu and Flydubai said reserve pilots traveling in the passenger section were able to assist in regaining control of the aircraft. Their presence was a crucial factor in bringing the plane down safely.

Aviation safety analyst David Soucie noted that additional working pilots are not routinely present on flights unless they are traveling to operate other services. In this case, the availability of aviation-trained people in the cabin became central to the response.

Netanyahu identified the injured pilot who fought back as Smit Machchhar, from India, and praised him for helping prevent a catastrophe. In comments to Jim Sciutto, Netanyahu described the episode as one in which passengers, crew and pilots overcame a potentially devastating attack.

“What distinguishes this incident from the other tragic attacks was that this time, the good guys won.”

Netanyahu also said the suspect had been subject to Islamist radicalization. Investigators are still examining what prompted the alleged attack and whether anyone else may have been involved. Netanyahu said that anyone found to have sent the suspect would face what he called “a very heavy price.”

Medical care continued after the alleged attacker was restrained

Dr. Shota Musaev, a dentist who was traveling on the flight, said he helped secure the alleged attacker using headphone cords and plastic zip ties. Afterward, he turned his attention to the wounded pilot.

Images from the cabin showed the severity of the emergency. One seriously injured pilot lay on the floor while passengers assisted him and checked on his condition. His hands and clothing appeared bloodied as he held his torso, though he remained conscious.

Nearby, another wounded pilot—identified by passengers as the alleged attacker—was being held under guard. His shirt appeared heavily stained with blood around the abdomen.

The attack’s aftermath left many passengers uncertain about where the flight would go and whether they were safe even after the immediate struggle had ended. Assaf Rajuan said travelers looked below and saw desert terrain as the aircraft diverted.

“There was nothing but desert beneath us; we feared being taken to an enemy country or landing in the middle of the desert. We didn’t know who to trust.”

Emergency landing brought the crisis to an end

The decision to divert to Tabuk placed the aircraft at the nearest practical point where it could land and transfer the injured pilots for medical treatment. Once on the ground, the episode moved from an in-flight emergency to an investigation involving the alleged assault, aircraft security and the events inside the cockpit.

The incident has drawn attention to the layers of protection that can matter during a rare cockpit crisis: the response of the remaining pilot, cabin crew action, passengers willing to intervene, medical assistance in the cabin and the unexpected presence of reserve pilots.

For those aboard Flight FZ1073, those factors turned a terrifying descent into a safe landing. The investigation will now seek to establish the precise sequence of events, the alleged attacker’s motive and how the aircraft’s emergency response unfolded minute by minute.