Story perspectives

Co-pilot stabs captain, attempts crash of Flight FZ1073

By Drooid · Oct 1, 2026, 6:08 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

Co-pilot stabbed Captain Smit Machchhar and attempted to crash Flight FZ1073, a Boeing 737 Max 8.
Plane dropped 14,000 feet in 30 seconds, transmitted squawk 7700 then 7500, and landed in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
Captain Machchhar, seriously injured, kept the aircraft under control.
Passengers and off-duty crew overpowered the attacker and helped the wounded captain open the door.
Saudi authorities arrested the suspected Omani co-pilot and confirmed 174 aboard, including 169 Israelis, were unharmed and later flown to Tel Aviv.

History

Historical Context

The 1976 Entebbe hijacking, when Israeli commandos rescued 102 hostages from Air France Flight 139 after Ugandan leader Idi Amin aided the terrorists, set a precedent for decisive crew and passenger action against aircraft attacks; today's worldwide airline security incidents draw on that legacy of rapid intervention to prevent mass casualties.

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Story summary

Co-pilot stabbed Captain Smit Machchhar and attempted to crash Flight FZ1073, a Boeing 737 Max 8.
Plane dropped 14,000 feet in 30 seconds, transmitted squawk 7700 then 7500, and landed in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
Captain Machchhar, seriously injured, kept the aircraft under control.
Passengers and off-duty crew overpowered the attacker and helped the wounded captain open the door.
Saudi authorities arrested the suspected Omani co-pilot and confirmed 174 aboard, including 169 Israelis, were unharmed and later flown to Tel Aviv.

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