NEW DELHI: An Indian pilot, Captain Smit Machchhar, has been identified as the flydubai captain who was stabbed during a dramatic cockpit confrontation aboard Flight FZ1073 on September 30, as the Dubai-Tel Aviv flight was forced to divert to Saudi Arabia after a sudden mid-air emergency.
Machchhar, a Gujarati-origin Indian national, was commanding the Boeing 737 MAX 8 when the confrontation reportedly erupted between the two pilots. The aircraft, carrying around 180 passengers and crew, was flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv when emergency signals were transmitted and the plane began a rapid descent before eventually landing safely at Tabuk Airport in northwestern Saudi Arabia.
According to Israeli officials, the co-pilot allegedly attacked Machchhar with a knife and subsequently attempted to interfere with the aircraft’s controls. Passengers and off-duty pilots travelling on the flight reportedly intervened after hearing screams and signs of a struggle in the cockpit. The aircraft was brought under control before it landed in Tabuk.
The sequence triggered an aviation security alert. Flight-tracking data indicated that the aircraft descended sharply from cruising altitude, while it transmitted squawk 7700, the international code for a general emergency, followed by 7500, which is associated with unlawful interference or a possible hijacking. Israel scrambled fighter aircraft amid the initial uncertainty before the situation was clarified.
The cockpit crisis raised fears of a potential aviation catastrophe reminiscent of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the United States, when Al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked passenger aircraft and deliberately crashed them into New York’s World Trade Center, destroying the Twin Towers, and the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia. The scale of the danger aboard the Dubai-Tel Aviv flight was still being assessed as the crew struggled to regain control of the aircraft and prevent a far more serious outcome.
Machchhar’s aviation career
Machchhar joined flydubai as a direct-entry captain in June 2022 after spending nearly 11 years with SpiceJet. During his tenure at the Indian airline, he served as a senior commander and later as a Line Training Captain, undertaking pilot training, checking and mentoring responsibilities.
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His professional profile lists more than 13 years of commercial aviation experience and around 9,750 hours on Boeing 737 aircraft, including the 737-800 and 737 MAX variants. He also has experience in crew resource management, flight standards, safety, compliance and pilot mentoring. Machchhar holds a Business Administration degree from the Welingkar Institute of Management.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later said the co-pilot had attempted to crash the aircraft after stabbing the captain. According to his account, passengers and a crew member forced their way into the cockpit after the aircraft entered a steep descent and found the co-pilot attempting to interfere with its systems.
VIDEO | Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu says Flydubai pilot tried to crash plane, passengers prevented 'major disaster'.
He added, “Israeli citizens, this morning there was a very serious security event on a flight from Dubai to Israel. Almost all passengers on the flight were… pic.twitter.com/uIFLoBp38Y
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 30, 2026
An Israeli official identified the co-pilot as an Omani national, while Israeli authorities subsequently described the episode as a suspected attempted terror attack. However, officials initially differed over whether the incident constituted a hijacking, and the precise sequence of events and motive remain under investigation.
Both pilots were taken to hospital after the aircraft landed. Flydubai said passengers and crew were safe and that it was cooperating with the relevant authorities. Investigators are now examining the cockpit confrontation, the actions of both pilots, the aircraft’s rapid descent and the circumstances that led to the emergency landing in Saudi Arabia.
