What happened
According to a report published by Dawn, Captain Smit Machchhar recounted his experience surviving an in-flight attack by his co-pilot during a flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv last month. In an interview with The National conducted from a hospital bed in Abu Dhabi, Machchhar—who had bandages on his head and left arm—explained that he initially mistook the first strike for a structural issue with the aircraft before realizing he was under assault.
To defend himself against blows from a cockpit crash axe, Machchhar unbuckled his seatbelts, blocked hits directed at his head with his arm, and reached for the cockpit door release while shouting for help. He temporarily lost consciousness during the struggle as the aircraft entered a steep drop in Saudi airspace.
Key facts
- Flight FZ1073 plunged 16,000 feet (4,900 metres) in 30 seconds while the cockpit assault was underway.
- The suspect, identified as an Omani national, was overwhelmed, allowing two other pilots on board to land the plane safely in Saudi Arabia.
- The co-pilot was subsequently sent to the United Arab Emirates, which serves as the home country for flydubai.
- Captain Machchhar received credit for preventing the destruction of the aircraft.
- Further medical updates or specific airline operational changes were not specified in the source; please check the official notice.
Why it matters
According to the UAE attorney general and public prosecutors, the incident was an attempted suicide attack aimed at crashing the plane into Ben Gurion Airport. Authorities stated that a criminal investigation opened on October 1 revealed the plan was motivated by the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States.
Source: Dawn - Home · Published October 18, 2026 · Photo by Don Komarechka via Openverse