Flydubai incident: Captain Smit Machchhar stabbed, Israel-bound flight diverted to Saudi Arabia – what happened? Timeline | Today’s news
A Flydubai flight carrying 174 people from the United Arab Emirates to Israel was forced to make an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday after its co-pilot allegedly stabbed the captain and tried to crash the plane.
The Boeing 737, operating as Flydubai flight FZ1073, lost nearly half its height in about a minute as the passengers, mostly Israelis, feared for their lives. The injured captain, Indian national Smit Machchhar, managed to open the cockpit door, allowing a passenger and a crew member to enter and apprehend the assailant.
The emergency came a day after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned of possible attacks ahead of Israel’s October 27 election. Netanyahu said Israel had indications before the vote that its “enemies” might attempt an attack, but did not elaborate on the nature of the alleged threat, Al Jazeera reported.
Flydubai incident: Here’s a timeline of what happened:
Around 6:00 a.m. (local time) — The flight departs from Dubai
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A Flydubai flight had to make an emergency landing after the co-pilot allegedly stabbed the captain and tried to crash the plane.
Despite his injuries, Captain Smit Machchhar opened the cockpit door and allowed a passenger and a crew member to enter and restrain the assailant while the others took control of the aircraft.
Authorities are investigating possible motives for the attack to determine whether it was related to terrorism or mental health issues, as the motive remains unclear.
The UAE government has launched an investigation into the incident as the plane is registered in the UAE and is looking into whether there is a link to terrorist activity.
While incidents like this are rare, airlines and authorities are constantly revising security protocols to improve security, making air travel generally safe despite isolated threats.
The Flydubai plane departed from Dubai in the United Arab Emirates to Tel Aviv, Israel, with 174 people on board. The emergency call came in about two and a half hours into the flight, at 8:44 a.m. local time.
8:44 – A fight breaks out in the cockpit
Officials later said there was a scuffle inside the cockpit. The co-pilot, a citizen of Oman, allegedly stabbed the captain and tried to crash the plane.
Read also | The UAE is investigating a possible “terrorist” link in the attack on the Flydubai flight to Israel
The incident triggered an on-board emergency as the aircraft began to rapidly lose altitude.
The plane descends from 33,000 feet to 17,000 feet
The plane dropped from about 33,000 feet to 17,000 feet, roughly 10,000 meters to 5,100 meters, in about a minute.
The plane then circled near the Jordanian border and eventually headed for Saudi Arabia.
The captain opens the cockpit door
Although Captain Smit Machchhar was injured, the cockpit door was opened. A passenger and a crew member ran inside and restrained the assailant while other crew members took control of the plane.
9:45 am (local time) Saudi Arabia – Flight lands safely in Tabuk
The plane landed at Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Airport about an hour after the emergency call.
Read also | FlyDubai air horror: Passengers pray as plane makes emergency landing
A person who heard communications between the plane and air traffic control told the AP that Saudi Arabia and Jordan initially turned the plane away before it was finally allowed to land in Tabuk. The source spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.
21:04 IST — Passengers departed for Israel
A replacement Flydubai plane transported passengers from Tabuk to Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv. According to Al Jazeera, the flight arrived at about 15:34 GMT (21:04 IST).
October 1, 00:11 (IST) — Israeli Prime Minister posts on X
Referring to the passenger he spoke with, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the pilot’s action “allowed the passengers and crew to overpower the attacker and prevented a catastrophic disaster in the air.”
Cockpit doors are normally locked during flight as a key aviation security precaution, a practice that became standard after the September 11, 2001 attacks.
6:58 (IST) – PM Modi hails Captain Machchhar as a hero
Machchhar, who hails from Mumbai, won praise for his actions during the emergency.
Read also | Netanyahu hugs a passenger who saved a pilot from an attacker on board a FlyDubai flight
Prime Minister Narendra Modi called Captain Machchhar a “hero” and lauded him for his bravery, saying he showed exceptional courage and remained committed to protecting others despite sustaining serious injuries in the face of grave danger.
He added that Machchhar’s bravery helped save hundreds of lives and prevented a major tragedy.
Who was the attacker?
The suspect is an Omani national and was arrested after the incident, according to a regional official briefed on the investigation, who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity.
The United Arab Emirates government said its investigation team began looking into the incident, saying the plane was registered in the United Arab Emirates and that UAE laws apply to crimes committed on board, even outside the country’s territory.
What was the motive?
The motive remains unclear.
A regional official said investigators were looking into “all possible scenarios, from terrorism to mental disorders”, adding that “nothing has been ruled out yet”.
Israeli intelligence and security officials were also investigating the co-pilot in Saudi Arabia, according to another regional official cited by AP.
The investigation is ongoing, and authorities have yet to publicly say why the co-pilot allegedly assaulted the captain or tried to shoot the plane down.
