Flydubai Jet Plunges During Cockpit Stabbing—Passengers Help Subdue Pilot, Flight Lands Safely

A flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv plunged thousands of feet Wednesday during a stabbing in the cockpit. Passengers and crew reportedly subdued the attacker, additional pilots took over, and the Boeing 737 MAX landed safely in Saudi Arabia. Everyone survived. Israeli officials suspect an attempted hijacking or murder-suicide, with one pilot allegedly attacking the other to take control of the aircraft. Flydubai has confirmed that all passengers are safe. Flight FZ1073 diverted to Tabuk in northwestern Saudi Arabia. Both operating pilots were hospitalized. The early version of this story was a fight between pilots, with a hijacking supposedly ruled out. That account has been overtaken by reporting that Israeli officials suspect an attempted terror attack. They fight in the cockpit could have been a struggle to stop someone from crashing the plane. Passengers Reportedly Fought The Attacker While Other Pilots Took Over According to a passenger interviewed by the Jerusalem Post, one pilot stabbed the other and tried to force him out of the cockpit as the aircraft descended. Passengers near the front rushed in and fought the attacker. Two additional pilots were traveling aboard the aircraft. The passenger described getting them into the cockpit after the attacker was removed, with one taking control. An Israeli dentist reportedly treated the wounded pilot. A passenger on the Dubai–Tel Aviv flight recounts: “We are currently in Saudi Arabia. One of the crew members attacked the pilot with a knife and disabled the aircraft’s systems. Yaniv (pictured?) and another passenger stormed the cockpit and subdued the attacker. Luckily,… pic.twitter.com/hmg7QvvTuM — Pepel Klaasa (@pepel_klaasa) September 30, 2026 That helps explain how the aircraft landed with both operating pilots injured. The alleged attacker was an Omani copilot and the wounded captain is Emirati. The additional pilots were aboard for training. WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT THE INCIDENT ON BOARD THE DUBAI-TEL AVIV FLIGHT Israel is treating the incident on the flydubai flight FZ 1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv as a "terror incident." According to Israeli officials, shortly after entering Jordanian airspace, the Omani co-pilot… pic.twitter.com/0MQPc5SoeG — Ariel Oseran أريئل أوسيران (@ariel_oseran) September 30, 2026 Video accounts describe passengers tending to a bloodied pilot outside the cockpit, with another crew member restrained nearby. Here’s footage shared by their military correspondent from the cabin following the aircraft’s rapid descent: Footage from inside the flydubai flight following its rapid descent The Aircraft Sent Both Emergency And Hijacking Codes The Boeing 737 MAX 8, identified as A6-FKF, had been cruising at 34,000 feet. There was a sharp descent, climb, and another descent before the aircraft’s altitude settled around 15,000 feet. The flight transmitted: 7700: a general emergency. 7500: unlawful interference, the code associated with hijacking. 7700 again before landing. According to Flydubai, The aircraft has landed safely in Tabuk Airport (TUU) and all passengers are safe and accounted for. Israel’s Transportation Minister Wants Flydubai Flights Halted Transportation Minister Miri Regev has requested a halt to flydubai flights to and from Israel, and the agency says the airline’s agreement to operate in Israel requires pilots to come from countries with diplomatic relations with Israel. Oman doesn’t have those relations, suggesting the copilot may have been ineligible to operate the flight. Meanwhile, El Al says it’s preparing to help Israelis return home, including travelers who left the country on other airlines. Topics on this page