A British off-duty pilot helped save a Flydubai flight after a fellow pilot allegedly stabbed the captain and attempted to crash the aircraft, a passenger has said. The Boeing 737, carrying 180 people from Dubai to Tel Aviv, was diverted to Tabuk in Saudi Arabia after plunging thousands of feet in less than two minutes.
Passengers and crew reportedly restrained the alleged attacker as the injured captain, named as Smit Machchhar, opened the cockpit door before collapsing. Two relief pilots who were travelling on the aircraft then entered the cockpit, with one of them said to be British, and helped regain control.
Passenger Amol Itali told the BBC: “There were two pilots in the front, one stabbed the other, and there were two spare pilots who were supposed to operate the next flight.”
He added: “The relief pilots are European, one of them British, who entered [the cockpit] and pulled the aircraft up, pulled the yoke, stabilised the plane and landed us in Saudi Arabia.”
Flight FZ1073 had been cruising at about 33,000 feet before descending to around 17,000 feet in roughly a minute. Flight-tracking data indicated that the aircraft later struggled to maintain a steady altitude while it was being flown manually.
The jet transmitted the emergency transponder code 7700 before briefly switching to 7500, which indicates unlawful interference or a hijacking. It then reverted to the general emergency signal as it made a U-turn over the border between Jordan and Saudi Arabia.
Passengers overpowered alleged attacker
Israel closed its airspace and scrambled warplanes amid fears that the aircraft had been hijacked. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held an emergency security meeting with Defence Minister Israel Katz.
Mr Katz described the incident as “an attempted jihadist terror attack” which had been “thwarted only thanks to the heroism of several Israeli passengers”.
Mr Netanyahu later said the alleged attacker had been arrested and was being questioned by Saudi authorities. He said passengers had broken into the cockpit and overpowered the pilot while he was apparently trying to sabotage the aircraft’s systems.
“I salute these heroes who demonstrated extraordinary resourcefulness and courage,” Mr Netanyahu said. “They saved many lives and prevented a major disaster.”
Passengers described hearing shouting and screams from the front of the aircraft before seeing blood and the wounded captain. Some said they had rushed forward and helped tie up the alleged attacker, who was reported to have been carrying a pocketknife.
One passenger, Itzhak Liber, said: “We took control of the situation here on the flight. There was an attacker with a knife who stabbed one of the pilots. We just jumped on him and restrained him together with the pilot.”
Other passengers said the aircraft began to dive rapidly, while cabin crew urged people to remain seated and fasten their seatbelts. Footage recorded inside the cabin showed frightened adults and children adopting the brace position as the aircraft descended.
A passenger who filmed himself with blood on his face said: “We’re here during the hijacking of an airplane. At this point we’ve subdued the terrorists, we’re approaching landing. Whoever is hearing me, we need help.”
He said the aircraft was landing in Tabuk and that everyone appeared to be safe apart from the pilot, who needed medical assistance.
Flight diverted to Saudi Arabia
The aircraft landed at Tabuk, a civilian and military base in Saudi Arabia, after the incident over the region. Images appeared to show part of the rudder missing from the aircraft’s vertical stabiliser after it touched down.
Witnesses said two pilots who had been at the rear of the aircraft came forward to help land it. The injured Captain Machchhar was praised by passengers in footage recorded after the aircraft was brought under control.
Flydubai sent a second aircraft to Tabuk to collect the stranded passengers. Israeli media reported that some passengers were reluctant to board it and wanted an Israeli carrier to take them home instead.
Israeli officials said the incident was being investigated, while the growing assessment among the country’s security establishment was that it had been intended as an act of terror.
