British Hero Saves Flydubai Jet From Hijacker's Death Plunge

A British hero pulled a Flydubai jet back from a death plunge after a co-pilot allegedly stabbed the captain in what looks like a hijacking attempt. Passengers say the attacker tried to crash the aircraft into Israel before authorities could intervene. The crew tied up the assailant and fought to regain control of the plane. Data from Flightradar24 shows the jet plummeted 14,000 feet in just 29 seconds before recovery efforts took hold.

Amol Itali told the BBC what happened inside the cockpit. He said two pilots sat at the front controls while two relief pilots were ready for their next shift. One of those relief pilots was British. He entered the cabin and pulled the yoke to stabilize the flying machine. The plane then landed safely in Saudi Arabia after turning away from its original path toward Tel Aviv.

Captain Smit Machchhar received praise for his actions. He managed to fight off the co-pilot who had stabbed him and tried to sabotage systems on board. Distressing video footage captured by travelers shows Captain Machchhar lying on the floor with blood running down his face while others tended to his wounds. The attack left him injured, but he did not give up until help arrived.

Flight FZ1073 flew from Dubai toward Tel Aviv when things went wrong over Jordanian airspace. It transmitted a general emergency signal using squawk code 7700 as it made the U-turn between countries. Over Saudi territory, the aircraft switched to code 7500 to warn controllers of unlawful interference or hijacking. Officials feared this incident could become another major tragedy similar to September 11.

Israel scrambled warplanes and closed its airspace immediately after reports came in. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held an emergency security meeting with Defence Minister Israel Katz. Mr Katz called the event an attempted jihadist terror attack that stopped only because of brave passengers inside. He noted that several travelers helped stop the man from destroying critical systems or crashing into people below.

One passenger described how Captain Machchhar opened the cockpit door before collapsing completely. That moment let others rush in and seize the attacker who was trying to destroy controls mid-flight. The Israeli Prime Minister later announced that the suspect has been arrested and is now being questioned by Saudi authorities. He added that as they approached Israel, one pilot stabbed another and apparently tried to bring the plane down with everyone on board.

The story unfolded quickly across borders, drawing attention from leaders in both nations. A rhetorical question comes to mind: how often do ordinary people become heroes without expecting credit? These travelers acted fast when seconds counted against them. Their courage prevented what could have been a catastrophic loss of life.

He claimed he and one crew member broke into the cockpit together to overpower the pilot who stabbed him while trying to sabotage the systems. Another air crew entered the cabin later and helped stabilize the flying machine. Passengers from that flight waited at Tabuk airport in Saudi Arabia after their trip from Dubai to Israel was diverted. People told Israel's Channel 12 they heard shouts from the front of the jet during a violent fight between the pilots. 'I salute these heroes who demonstrated extraordinary resourcefulness and courage,' one voice said. They saved many lives and prevented a major disaster. Footage showed children and adults on the plane crying out in fright as the jet seemed to veer downwards. Terror was backdropped by a growing noise of turbulence while the cabin rattled around them. One woman crouched in the aisle while others put their heads down in the brace position. Another clip showed passengers panicking on the plane. A handful went up front to investigate, and screams were heard across the cabin immediately. A member of the cabin crew told everyone to remain seated and fasten their seatbelts. One passenger recorded a video with blood over his face from a gash stretching from his forehead down to his nose. He said: 'We're here during the hijacking of an airplane.' At that point they had subdued the terrorists and were approaching landing. Whoever heard him needed help now. They were landing in Tabuk, apparently in Saudi Arabia. It was an unknown area for them. On the plane everyone was safe except the pilot. We need help right now. A woman held an Israeli flag as passengers on the Flydubai aircraft arrived at Ben Gurion International Airport. The jet dropped from 30,875 feet to 16,750 feet in just 29 seconds. Data from Flightradar24 shows the plane rapidly losing altitude over Saudi Arabia just two hours after take-off. It descended more than 17,000ft in less than two minutes just after 05.21 UTC. The aircraft recovered slightly for several seconds, reaching 21,650ft before dropping sharply again to under 14,000ft. Over the next hour the plane failed to maintain a steady altitude but stayed around 15,000ft. This indicated it was being controlled by hand rather than autopilot according to The Times of Israel. The plane initially transmitted squawk code 7700 indicating a general emergency before switching to 7500 for unlawful interference later reverting back. A regional official briefed on the incident said a fight broke out in the cockpit apparently involving pilots but added it wasn't immediately clear what caused the dispute. Israeli authorities were unable to make contact with the jet during the incident. The growing consensus among the Israeli security establishment including the IDF, Mossad and Shin Bet is that the incident was intended as an act of terror. Passengers on the plane told Israel's Channel 12 they heard shouts from others at the front who overheard the violent altercation. Images appeared to show a section of the rudder missing from the vertical stabilizer after the flight touched down. Passengers filed out of the rear of the plane after it landed in Saudi Arabia. Witnesses said two pilots at the back came forward to help land it. One passenger shouted at them to run and take control of the plane. As other pilots took control passengers ran towards the man who had a knife. Another passenger on the Boeing 737 MAX told Israel's Channel 12: We heard screams on the plane.

They opened the cockpit door and found blood," one witness recounted. "Someone had stabbed the pilot with a pocketknife." She explained how Israeli passengers joined the crew to hold down the attacker. "'We prayed,' she said, quoting 'Shema Yisrael.' There were moments when we thought we would not make it out alive."

Another woman, who asked to be called Noam, spoke to the network by phone. "Screams began on the plane," she reported. "Passengers realized what was happening." She added that one pilot suffered a severe stabbing wound, causing them to lose control of the aircraft. "It started to dive quickly," she said. "It was very scary."

Itzhak Liber recorded a video for his family before posting it on Facebook. He stated that they took charge of the situation mid-flight. "There was an attacker with a knife who stabbed one of the pilots," he explained. "We just jumped on him and restrained him together with the pilot." The man claimed the assailant had been neutralized, seriously injured, and tied up.

Zvika Manes traveled with his wife and daughter. He described the event as incredibly traumatic. His daughter was in the bathroom while his wife stayed near the cockpit when he heard shouting and screams. Mr. Manes entered to help subdue the man holding the blade. "I'm covered in blood," he said simply. "It was crazy."

A passenger speaking to Channel 12 noted that her husband helped neutralize a terrorist. She claimed a crew member in the cockpit tried to crash the plane but was stopped by those on board. "Someone shouted 'stabbing,'" she recalled. "My husband immediately understood what was happening and rushed to the front of the plane, along with other Israelis who neutralized the terrorist." There were stabbings and a lot of blood, Meital added. She admitted they are very emotional and under terrible stress, making it hard for her to talk.

Flydubai stated that a second aircraft went to Tabuk Airport to retrieve stranded travelers. Yet Israeli media reported that some passengers refused to board this replacement flight, demanding an Israeli carrier pick them up instead. A senior official told the channel that without the pilots on the jet, the incident could have ended as another September 11, 2001 attack or a 1976 Entebbe hostage situation.

A second official confirmed Israel scrambled warplanes due to fear of hijacking a plane carrying dozens of its citizens. The aircraft eventually landed in Tabuk, a civilian and military base in the kingdom, with 180 passengers onboard. Mr. Netanyahu warned recently of unspecified but escalated security threats. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the incident remains under investigation.