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Passengers Overpower Stabber as Flydubai Lands Safely

By Drooid · Oct 1, 2026, 9:59 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Flydubai Captain Defends

Flydubai captain Smit Machchhar fought off his co-pilot after being stabbed, averting a crash.
Omani co-pilot stabbed Machchhar on flight FZ1073, a Boeing 737 MAX 8 bound for Tel Aviv on September 30, 2026.
Plane dropped about 14,000 feet in under 30 seconds before passengers and crew entered the cockpit.
Passengers and a crew member overpowered the attacker.
Flydubai diverted to Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia, where all 174 passengers landed safely.

Summary

Standby Pilots Land

Two standby pilots, traveling as passengers, took control and landed the aircraft safely.
Captain Machchhar had logged over 9,750 Boeing 737 flight hours before the incident.
After the attack, Machchhar was treated at a Tabuk hospital, remaining in stable condition.
Saudi authorities arrested the Omani co-pilot, citing an ongoing motive investigation.

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Flydubai Captain Defends

Flydubai captain Smit Machchhar fought off his co-pilot after being stabbed, averting a crash.
Omani co-pilot stabbed Machchhar on flight FZ1073, a Boeing 737 MAX 8 bound for Tel Aviv on September 30, 2026.
Plane dropped about 14,000 feet in under 30 seconds before passengers and crew entered the cockpit.
Passengers and a crew member overpowered the attacker.
Flydubai diverted to Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia, where all 174 passengers landed safely.

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