A FlyDubai captain stabbed by his own co-pilot mid-flight fought through serious wounds to open the cockpit door and save more than 170 passengers and crew, in a mid-air drama that ended with an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia — and praise from world leaders for the pilot's heroism.
What happened on FlyDubai flight FZ1073
FlyDubai flight FZ1073 was en route from Dubai to Tel Aviv on Wednesday with more than 170 people aboard when the co-pilot allegedly stabbed Captain Smit Machchhar and attempted to crash the Boeing 737. The jet plunged nearly 14,000 feet in under 30 seconds, according to Reuters, as passengers first mistook the violent descent for severe turbulence.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the attacker, an Omani national, was arrested in Saudi Arabia and is under interrogation. The motive remains unclear, and UAE officials are investigating whether the incident was linked to terrorism.
Captain Smit Machchhar's fight to save the plane
Captain Machchhar, an Indian national from Mumbai with 17 years of flying experience — 11 as a captain — was stabbed multiple times and knocked to the cockpit floor. But he realized the aircraft was going down.
"I had so many wounds. I had fallen down. I was fighting for my life. At one point, I realized that if I didn't get up … then passengers would lose their lives."
Bleeding and bandaged, he forced himself upright and managed to open the secured cockpit door. Passengers and crew rushed in and overpowered the attacker while the plane was still descending.
Emergency landing in Tabuk
With the captain incapacitated, two off-duty FlyDubai pilots who happened to be aboard — one of them British, according to a passenger — took control of the jet and diverted it to Tabuk in northwestern Saudi Arabia, landing safely. FlyDubai confirmed the aircraft was secured by on-duty crew members before the emergency landing.
Machchhar was first treated at a hospital in Tabuk, then transferred to Abu Dhabi, where he is recovering. India's ambassador to the UAE, Deepak Mittal, visited him in hospital and said the captain was "in good health and recovering well."
Praise for a hero
On Friday, Machchhar spoke to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in an emotional televised video call from his hospital bed, breaking down as he recounted the attack and saying he had recited a prayer to the Hindu god Hanuman during the ordeal. Modi told him his "courage, patience, and presence of mind" saved many lives.
Netanyahu called Machchhar a "true hero" of "extraordinary bravery," saying he "prevented a 9/11 disaster." The captain has also been praised by former US President Donald Trump, and hailed across India as a national hero.
In a haunting detail, a podcast clip resurfaced of Machchhar saying last year: "If something happens up there [in flight], who will save you? Air crews can save lives." This week, he proved it.
Watch: Capt. Smit Machchhar recounts the cockpit attack in a video call with PM Modi
Sources: Reuters, Associated Press, Newsmax, The Times