Flydubai pilot Smit Machchhar hailed hero after co‑pilot attack forces Saudi diversion

The Indian captain resisted a stabbing by his co‑pilot, passengers helped subdue the attacker and leaders in Israel, India and the UAE praised his actions.

By Felo News Desk · Published Thu, 01 Oct 2026 12:44:51 GMT

A Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv was forced to land in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia after a co‑pilot stabbed the captain, Smit Machchhar, on 30 September, according to Al Jazeera and the Evening Standard.

What happened

At about 08:44 local time, roughly two and a half hours after take‑off, the aircraft sent a distress call. The captain, an Indian national, was attacked with a knife by his co‑pilot. The plane dropped 17,400 feet in just over two minutes before the pilots managed to keep it under control and land safely at Tabuk Airport. All passengers and crew were accounted for after the emergency landing.

What the reports add

Al Jazeera reported that Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the captain “a true hero” for averting a “catastrophic mid‑air disaster”. The outlet also quoted UAE Attorney General Hamad Saif al‑Shamsi saying the UAE will investigate the incident to determine any terrorist motive. The Evening Standard added that the attacker was understood to be an Omani citizen, a detail not mentioned by Al Jazeera. The Standard also quoted passenger Yaniv Hayoun, who said he grabbed the attacker and helped restrain him.

What was said

Netanyahu told reporters that the Indian pilot opened the cockpit door after being stabbed and praised him as a hero. Modi praised Machchhar on X, calling him a “true hero”. Hamad Saif al‑Shamsi said the UAE investigation team would “collect information and evidence to determine the truth of the incident, its circumstances, details, and motives”. Yaniv Hayoun told reporters, “I grabbed the attacker, put him in a chokehold, and pulled him … we pinned him down to keep him secure.”

How it came about

The incident follows a series of Felo News reports on the same flight. On 30 September, Felo reported the diversion of Flydubai flight FZ1073 to Tabuk after a cockpit clash (flydubai-flight-diverted-pilots-clash) and detailed the stabbing of the co‑pilot (pilot-stabbed-co-pilot-flydubai). Earlier on 1 October, Felo covered Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s praise of the captain (smit-machchhar-hero-modis-praise) and a passenger’s claim that a TV docuseries helped him intervene (flydubai-passenger-docuseries).

Key facts

Flydubai flight FZ1073 was diverted to Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia after a cockpit altercation. (aljazeera.com)
Captain Smit Machchhar, an Indian national, was stabbed by his co‑pilot but managed to keep the aircraft under control. (aljazeera.com)
Passenger Yaniv Hayoun helped subdue the attacker, saying he placed the man in a chokehold. (standard.co.uk)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi publicly praised Machchhar as a hero. (aljazeera.com)
UAE Attorney General Hamad Saif al‑Shamsi announced an investigation into possible terrorist motives. (aljazeera.com)

Where accounts differ

Nationality of the attacker: The co‑pilot’s nationality was not specified. (aljazeera.com); The attacker was understood to be an Omani citizen. (standard.co.uk)