Smit Machchhar, a pilot stabbed repeatedly by his co-pilot, fought back to save the plane on Wednesday. When the assault started, an Indian citizen was aboard Flydubai Flight FZ1073 traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv. According to the Daily Wire, the Omani first officer attacked him with a knife and tried to seize control. Machchhar succeeded in forcing the cockpit door open even though he suffered severe injuries. This act allowed two off-duty pilots to enter and help land the Boeing 737 MAX 8.
Before the hijacker was neutralized, the aircraft dropped approximately 17,000 feet within a timeframe under two minutes. The Daily Wire reported that the rudder was inoperable due to stress on the frame during the dive. Machchhar was rushed to a hospital in Saudi Arabia after the emergency landing. His struggle alerted the crew and passengers to the danger inside. Passengers then breached the flight deck to subdue the hijacker.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu:
My salute to the Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar for his extraordinary bravery.
Despite being stabbed and seriously injured, he fought back, resisted, opened the cockpit door, and enabled passengers and crew to overpower the attacker —…
— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) September 30, 2026
Israelis and other passengers stormed the cockpit to stop the hijacking attempt. Yaniv Hayun, a plumber, was among those who entered the cockpit to help. He told reporters he grabbed the attacker and choked him to pull him out. “I started pulling the controls,” Hayun said about the moment he took over. He later told reporters, “Thank God, we pulled it off.” Our team collaborated closely and pooled our efforts to resolve the situation.
Aviatar Alevi, a 17-year-old student, described the chaos on board to NBC News. He said he started hearing screaming about the stabbings before the plane dived. “We were so scared. We didn’t know what was going to happen,” Alevi told NBC News. Motti Cohen Or, 70, heard a woman shouting that someone was stabbing someone in the cockpit. The plane eventually landed safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, with all passengers alive.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the heroes who prevented a major disaster. He said Saudi authorities were interrogating the pilots after the plane landed. Netanyahu held a conversation with the Israeli traveler who breached the cockpit to halt the hijacker. “I salute these heroes, who displayed extraordinary resourcefulness and courage,” Netanyahu said in a statement.
بيان توضيحي من مصدر مسؤول بوزارة الداخلية بشأن الهبوط الاضطراري لطائرة شركة (فلاي دبي) في مطار الأمير سلطان بن عبدالعزيز الدولي بمنطقة تبوك. pic.twitter.com/WYwEmTfeOA
— وزارة الداخلية 🇸🇦 (@MOISaudiArabia) October 1, 2026
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz called the event a “jihadist terrorist attack attempt.” Netanyahu revealed that “almost all” of the passengers were Israelis who were only saved by the breach. According to The Washington Examiner, a flight departed carrying the stranded passengers to return them to Israel. Social media footage depicted Saudi medics providing care to the passengers once the plane landed.
This story shows that ordinary people can save lives when evil strikes. The pilot did not give up even after being stabbed multiple times. Passengers did not hide but ran toward the danger to stop the attacker. Their bravery turned a potential tragedy into a miracle of survival. We often fear flying, but these heroes prove that courage wins over terror.
The hijacker’s sole goal was to destroy the aircraft along with every person on board. According to initial information in our possession, the terrorist wanted to kill everyone on board. The Daily Wire observed that the group faced difficulty opening the cockpit door prior to their eventual success.
