Passengers and Pilot Thwart Attempted Crash of Flydubai Flight
Passengers and crew subdued a co-pilot who stabbed the captain and attempted to crash a Flydubai flight bound for Israel, forcing an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia.
A Flydubai Boeing 737 MAX 8 flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv was diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, on September 30, 2026, after an Omani co-pilot stabbed the captain in an attempt to crash the aircraft. The attack caused the plane to plummet between 14,000 and 17,000 feet in less than two minutes, triggering emergency signals for unlawful interference. Despite his injuries, Captain Smit Machchhar unlocked the cockpit door, allowing passengers and crew to storm the flight deck and overpower the assailant. Israeli passenger Yaniv Hayoun and others subdued the co-pilot, while off-duty pilots on board stabilized the aircraft and landed it safely at Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Airport.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz characterized the event as a thwarted jihadist terrorist attack, with Netanyahu comparing it to a potential 9/11 disaster. The co-pilot was arrested by Saudi authorities and later identified as having undergone radical Islamist indoctrination. In response, Israel ordered increased security screenings for all pilots flying into the country, and Flydubai temporarily suspended all flights to and from Israel.
Captain Machchhar, an Indian national, received emergency surgery in Tabuk before being airlifted to Abu Dhabi for further treatment. He was hailed as a hero by Prime Ministers Benjamin Netanyahu and Narendra Modi. Israeli President Isaac Herzog recommended the Presidential Award for Civilian Heroism for the passengers who intervened. The incident also sparked a political dispute in Israel, with opposition leader Yair Lapid accusing Netanyahu of politicizing the security threat ahead of the October 27 general election.
