Flydubai Flight 1073 Hijacking Attempt Ended With Safe Emergency Landing
On September 30, Flydubai Flight 1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv entered a steep dive after its co-pilot attacked the captain. Passengers and crew subdued the attacker, while reserve pilots landed the aircraft safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, according to Time.
By DoomRadar · Published on DoomRadar . Updated .
Based on two sources with available article excerpts. Source-linked claims are not independent confirmation.
Event date: The incident occurred on September 30 during Flydubai Flight 1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv. [1]
What happened
The aircraft departed Dubai at 3:05 a.m. local time for a planned three-hour-and-35-minute flight to Tel Aviv, carrying more than 170 passengers, according to FlightRadar24 data cited by Time. [1]
References for this detail (1)
- How the Flydubai Incident Happened—and Could Happen Againtime.com · Article published: Oct 1, 2026, 10:13 PM UTC
At 5:21 a.m., the plane entered a steep dive and lost more than 14,000 feet in 30 seconds. The captain sent emergency alerts, including a general-emergency code and an unlawful-interference code. [1]
References for this detail (1)
- How the Flydubai Incident Happened—and Could Happen Againtime.com · Article published: Oct 1, 2026, 10:13 PM UTC
The co-pilot attacked Captain Smit Machchhar, who opened the cockpit door while injured. Video described by the Deccan Chronicle shows passengers shouting that the co-pilot had tried to crash the plane. [2]
References for this detail (1)
- Hit Me So Many Times: New Footage From Flydubai Flight Shows Blooddeccanchronicle.com · Article published: Oct 2, 2026, 2:33 AM UTC
Two passengers and a crew member restrained the attacker. Two reserve pilots then reached the cockpit and landed the aircraft safely in Tabuk; the two primary pilots were taken to a local hospital, according to Time. [1]
References for this detail (1)
- How the Flydubai Incident Happened—and Could Happen Againtime.com · Article published: Oct 1, 2026, 10:13 PM UTC
The motive and security background remained under investigation in the reporting. Time raised questions about pilot screening, while the Deccan Chronicle attributed a claim of radical Islamist indoctrination to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. [1][2]
References for this detail (2)
- How the Flydubai Incident Happened—and Could Happen Againtime.com · Article published: Oct 1, 2026, 10:13 PM UTC
- Hit Me So Many Times: New Footage From Flydubai Flight Shows Blooddeccanchronicle.com · Article published: Oct 2, 2026, 2:33 AM UTC
Context from the sources
Aviation-security expert Jeff Price told Time that commercial crews commonly use a trusted crew-access system, giving cleared personnel access to aircraft areas. The article also noted that a U.S. rule requires secondary cockpit barriers on newly manufactured commercial aircraft delivered to U.S. airlines, but not existing aircraft. [1]
What happened before, and what is different now
A documented earlier episode helps explain a possible mechanism. Its outcome does not predict this event.
The earlier episode
On March 24, 2015, Germanwings Flight 9525 crashed, killing 150 people, after a pilot locked the other pilot out of the cockpit. [1]
What connects them
Both episodes involve the security risk posed by a person with cockpit access. [1][2]
What is different
The Flydubai attack was stopped after the captain opened the cockpit and reserve pilots took control; the Germanwings flight crashed.
What to watch here
The different outcomes show that cockpit access controls and an available response can affect whether an onboard attack becomes a mass-casualty disaster, but the earlier case does not predict this incident's future consequences.
Explore the sources and reporting timeline
2 source links · 2 domains
These counts describe the references, not independent confirmations. Different outlets can repeat the same original report.
Source timeline
Oldest to newest among the available source dates, not a chronology of the incident. Article publication dates come from the source; other recorded dates may reflect when a link was found.
- [1] How the Flydubai Incident Happened—and Could Happen Againtime.comReferenced for: detail 1, detail 2, detail 4, detail 5
- [2] Hit Me So Many Times: New Footage From Flydubai Flight Shows Blooddeccanchronicle.comReferenced for: detail 3, detail 5
Questions answered by the reporting
Where did the aircraft land after the emergency?
Two reserve pilots took control and landed the aircraft safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. [1]
Who helped stop the attacker?
Two passengers and one crew member subdued and restrained the attacker with headphone cables. [1]
What this could mean for you
Future flights could face tighter cockpit-access procedures or additional screening requirements for crew.
The attack involved a person with authorized cockpit access, exposing a security gap that regulators or airlines may seek to address.
Reported basis: [1][2] · The possible effect is interpretation.
Depends on: Authorities or airlines must announce and implement new procedures; the reporting does not confirm such changes.
Possible time frame: months, if those conditions hold.
A similar onboard attack could threaten passengers and disrupt a flight if intervention or backup pilots were unavailable.
The aircraft entered a steep dive after the co-pilot attacked the captain, while the eventual recovery relied on passengers, crew and reserve pilots.
Reported basis: [1] · The possible effect is interpretation.
Depends on: An attacker gains cockpit access and the crew cannot quickly regain control.
Possible consequences, not a forecast. Their relevance depends on your location and the conditions above.
For your country
Choose a country to check how this event could affect you.
What changes the outlook
Risk increases if…
Investigators confirm that authorized crew access was insufficiently screened or protected.
Airlines identify no reliable backup procedure for an incapacitated flight crew.
Pressure eases if…
Investigators establish effective screening and cockpit-access safeguards.
Airlines implement additional barriers or response procedures that prevent unauthorized control of the aircraft.
Still unclear
The reporting does not establish the co-pilot's final motive, legal status or whether authorities confirmed the indoctrination claim.
It is unclear whether Flydubai or regulators announced specific changes to crew screening or cockpit-access procedures.
Market implications
Market impact
Sources (2)
References for the reported details. Separate links do not necessarily mean independent confirmation.
Available excerpt
The facts about what happened aboard Flydubai flight 1073, from Dubai, UAE to Tel Aviv, Israel on Sept. 30 are not in dispute. The plane,…A short excerpt from our source record; open the original for the full article.
Available excerpt
Footage released by Israel's Cha chaos aboard flydubai flight after pilot Capt Smit Machchhar and other passengers overcame an attempt by the co-pilot to crash…A short excerpt from our source record; open the original for the full article.
AI-assisted analysis · . Based on linked headlines and available excerpts. Methodology · Report an error.