Indian captain fought off co-pilot who tried to crash plane, Israeli PM hails him as 'true hero'

Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar has been hailed as a hero after allegedly fighting off his co-pilot, who attempted to crash a flydubai flight travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv, forcing the aircraft to make an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday praised Machchhar for his actions, saying the captain continued to fight back despite being stabbed and seriously injured.

Netanyahu said Machchhar managed to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers and crew members to overpower the attacker and avert what could have been a major disaster.

“He saved the lives of 174 people, including Israeli citizens and other nationals,” Netanyahu said, wishing the Indian pilot a speedy recovery.

Netanyahu had earlier said that one pilot stabbed the other and then appeared to try to crash the aircraft while passengers were on board.

The Indian Embassy in Riyadh and the Indian Consulate in Jeddah are monitoring Machchhar's condition. The embassy said he is being treated at a hospital in Tabuk in northwestern Saudi Arabia and is in stable condition.

“We hope that he recovers from his injuries at the earliest. We are in touch with his family and assure them that we will continue to follow up on his health with Saudi authorities and extend all possible assistance for his wellbeing,” the embassy said in a post on X.

Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana also expressed support for Machchhar, saying Israelis were praying for the Indian pilot who fought his co-pilot during the alleged attack.

Passengers overpower alleged attacker

According to Netanyahu, an Israeli passenger told him that the aircraft began spinning and rapidly descending. The passenger and a crew member then managed to enter the cockpit and overpower the pilot who had allegedly stabbed Machchhar and was attempting to interfere with the aircraft's systems.

Another crew member subsequently entered the cockpit and helped stabilise the aircraft, Netanyahu said.

The flight eventually landed safely at Tabuk airport, with all passengers out of danger.

The pilot accused of carrying out the stabbing, who is believed to be an Omani national, was arrested and was being questioned by Saudi authorities, Netanyahu said.

Flight FZ1073 was carrying 174 passengers, including 27 children, when it transmitted emergency signals and made a sharp descent before diverting to Prince Sultan Bin Abdel Aziz Airport in Tabuk.

flydubai confirmed that there had been an in-flight “altercation” and said the aircraft was safely diverted and landed at Tabuk Airport.

“The aircraft was successfully secured by on-duty flydubai crew travelling on the flight, who diverted and landed the aircraft safely at Tabuk Airport (TUU). All passengers and crew are safe and accounted for,” the airline said.

The airline said it was cooperating with authorities and cautioned against speculation while the investigation was underway.

“At this early stage, the underlying reasons and motives behind this event are unknown and remain subject to a formal investigation,” flydubai said.

Tabuk airport authorities said both the captain and first officer were injured and taken to hospital. Passengers were provided assistance at the airport terminal.

Israeli authorities feared hijacking

Israeli authorities initially feared a possible hijacking and scrambled Israeli Air Force fighter jets following the incident.

Hours later, the passengers travelled back to Tel Aviv on a flydubai rescue flight.

Several Israeli defence officials had pushed for an Israeli rescue aircraft to be sent to bring the passengers home. However, Saudi authorities denied permission for such an aircraft, The Jerusalem Post reported.

After the passengers arrived at Ben Gurion International Airport, Netanyahu met one of the passengers who had entered the cockpit and helped overpower the attacker.

The passengers told the prime minister that Machchhar opened the cockpit door before collapsing after being stabbed. They then entered the cockpit and subdued the alleged attacker before he could crash the aircraft.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz described the incident as an attempted “jihadist terrorist attack” and credited Israeli passengers with helping stop it.

Videos circulated by Israeli media showed passengers moving towards the front of the aircraft, while others could be heard shouting and asking what was happening.

BBC Verify said the aircraft's seating arrangement and design were consistent with a flydubai Boeing 737 MAX.

Flight-tracking data analysed by BBC Verify showed the aircraft flying at around 34,000 feet before descending more than 17,000 feet in less than two minutes. The aircraft then transmitted emergency signals, including a code associated with possible unlawful interference.

A video circulated on Israeli social media showed a bloodied man filming himself and saying passengers had taken control of the aircraft and were preparing to land in Tabuk.

Passengers describe moments of panic

Zvika Manes, a passenger who said he helped subdue the alleged attacker, told Israeli financial newspaper Calcalist that his wife heard shouting and screams near the cockpit before he and other passengers intervened.

Another passenger, Dalia Shpigel, told Haaretz that there were “terrible screams throughout the plane” before three to five men entered the cockpit and subdued the attacker.

An Israeli passenger named Daniel said two off-duty pilots travelling on the aircraft took control after the attacker was overpowered.

He described the aircraft as spinning and diving for several minutes, saying passengers feared they would not survive.

Noa Shpigel, a journalist with Haaretz, told the BBC that her 74-year-old mother was travelling on the flight from Kathmandu to Israel via Dubai.

Her mother told her that passengers realised something was wrong when the aircraft began moving erratically before diving. Several young Israeli men sitting near the front then entered the cockpit and took control, Shpigel said.

Israeli Opposition leader Yair Lapid said a warning about increased terrorist activity abroad that he had received before the incident was unrelated to what happened on the flight.

Lapid said the warning had been in place for more than two years and did not concern aircraft or anything similar to the incident.

He also said nothing resembling the aircraft incident had been discussed during a security briefing with Netanyahu on Tuesday.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called for action against those responsible for what he described as an attempt to crash the aircraft and kill passengers.  (with inputs from PTI)