A serious emergency occurred on the morning of this Wednesday, September 30 inside a plane FlyDubai airline that covered the Dubai-Tel Aviv routein Israel, with about 180 passengers on board. According to the reconstruction of the Israeli authorities, the co-pilot attacked the captain of the plane and tried to hijack the aircraft to apparently crash it.
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According to the passengers, after the attack in the cabin, the plane abruptly lost height and reached fall more than 5,000 meters in less than two minutes. In the midst of chaos, three men entered the cabin, they reduced the aggressor and They regained control of the aircraft.
“There were screams in the plane. Then they opened the cabin and saw blood, and that someone had stabbed the pilot with a knife“, declared a passenger to Israeli television.
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Although the airline spoke out asking that “premature speculation be avoided” As investigations progress, Israeli government described the event like a “attempted jihadist terrorist attack” directed against “the Israelis.”
🚨 This was the descent of a Flydubai Boeing 737-8 over Saudi Arabia, after an altercation in the cabin.
The aircraft lost 18,400 feet of altitude in less than two minutes and exceeded its maximum operating speed by almost 100 knots. Finally, it landed without… pic.twitter.com/JwUk4TLSfV
— EL TIEMPO (@ELTIEMPO) September 30, 2026
The identity of the pilot who was attacked during the attempted hijacking of the plane
He Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahuindicated that the man who was directing the aircraft when the events occurred He was identified as Smit Machchharpilot originally from India.
Videos recorded by passengers on the FlyDubai plane. Photo:Capture social networks
Netanyahu stated that Machchhar, despite “having been stabbed and seriously injured“, He resisted the aggression of his co-pilot, opened the cabin door and allowed Passengers intervene to prevent tragedy.
“He fought, he resisted, he opened the cabin door and allowed passengers and crew subdue the attacker, avoiding a catastrophic disaster in mid-flight“wrote the prime minister on his X account.
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According to the local newspaper Jerusalem PostMachchhar is originally from mumbai. According to his LinkedIn profile, he previously worked for the SpiceJet airlinefrom India, a company to which he was linked for more than 11 years and in which accumulated more than 9,500 flight hours. Furthermore, his profile indicates that Works at FlyDubai since June 2022that is, for more than four years.
The man too identified himself as captain with more than 13 years of experience on commercial flights with Boeing 737 fleet. Besides, described himself as an expert in guidance and pilot evaluation, with special emphasis on safety, regulatory compliance and operational excellence.
FlyDubai pilot attacked on September 30. Photo:Capture LinkedIn
The state of health of the pilot after being attacked on a flight to Israel
According to the story of the passengers who intervened during the emergency, after being hurt by your partnerthe captain Machchhar got “stuck” near the door of the cabin, which made access to the place difficult during the first minutes of the incident. The pilot He was found with injuries to his head and in his hands and in a video shared on networks He is seen on the ground covered in blood while some travelers try to save it.
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“The pilot He was in very serious conditionwith a severe bleeding in the head and the hands. I He was the only doctor on board. I managed to stop the bleeding and the pilot remained in a fairly stable situation until landing, at which time his condition worsened slightly“, passenger Musayev narrated to the Israeli newspaper Ynet.
The incident occurred on a FlyDubai plane. Photo:AFP and capture social networks
According to reported the Indian embassy in Riyadhthe man He was hospitalized in Saudi Arabiacountry where the plane made an emergency landing after the attempted kidnapping, and is “stable”.
“Our embassy in Riyadh and our consulate in Jeddah They have been aware of the state of health of Mr. Smit Machchhar, the brave Indian pilot of the Flydubai flight who was diverted today to Tabuk. He is admitted to a hospital from the city of Tabuk, in northwest Saudi Arabia, where receive necessary medical attention. Complete information on his condition is not yet available, but He is reported to be stable.“, indicated the Indian diplomatic mission on your official X account.
🚨A FlyDubai pilot stabbed his partner in mid-flight and allegedly tried to hijack the aircraft.
✈️Israeli officials indicated that the incident could be an attempted terrorist attack and that one of the pilots had tried to take control of the plane.… pic.twitter.com/d3ESNArLyU
— EL TIEMPO (@ELTIEMPO) September 30, 2026
Regarding the attacker, the Israeli authorities assured that he remains under interrogation in Saudi Arabia, although they have not confirmed the identity of the man or the plans he had with the aircraft involved.
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*With information from Efe
