Omani Co-Pilot Stabs Indian Pilot to Crash FlyDubai Flight Full of Israeli Citizens
A flydubai flight carrying mostly Israeli passengers was forced to make an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday after an Omani co-pilot allegedly stabbed the Indian pilot and attempted to crash the aircraft.
Flight FZ1073 was traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv when the incident unfolded. Israeli officials said the aircraft plunged nearly 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds during the struggle.
Passengers and crew members managed to enter the cockpit and overpower the co-pilot. Two additional flydubai pilots who were traveling as passengers then took control of the aircraft and safely landed it at Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia.
The flight was carrying 174 people, most of them Israeli nationals. More than 10 hours after the incident, the passengers reached Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport on a replacement flydubai aircraft.
According to Israeli officials, the captain, identified as Indian national Smit Machchhar, was found covered in blood after being stabbed. The co-pilot was reportedly attacking the aircraft’s control panel when passengers entered the cockpit.
Saudi authorities hospitalized both pilots following the incident. An Israeli ambulance service said a 51-year-old man was also treated for upper-body injuries and remained in mild condition.
The motive behind the attack remains under investigation. Flydubai confirmed that an altercation took place in the cockpit but warned against premature speculation about its cause.
Israeli authorities have announced tighter security checks for pilots operating flights into Israel following the incident.
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