A Muslim co-pilot stabbed the pilot and tried to take down a plane with 160- 180 passengers aboard.
A commercial plane traveling from Dubai in the United Arab Emirates to Israel was forced to make an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia after an apparent brawl between its pilots prompted distress signals
The plane dipped dramatically during the reported fight, descending about 16,000ft in just two minutes. Israeli officials scrambled fighter jets, fearful of a possible hijacking attempt on a plane containing dozens of Israelis, and the plane landed at Tabuk airport in north-western Saudi Arabia.
Netanyahu said one of the flydubai pilots stabbed his co-pilot and appeared to be intending to crash the plane. He added that a passenger managed to break into the cockpit with one of the crew members, and together they “neutralized” the attacking pilot.
Netanyahu described it as “an extremely severe security incident”. Other officials, including the defense minister, Israel Katz, have called it an attempted terrorist attack. Netanyahu thanked the passengers and crew who helped to stop the attack, saying they “showed exceptional resourcefulness and courage”.
An Israeli official has identified the attacker as an Omani national, Reuters reported.
The Boeing 737 plane, which Israeli officials said had between 160 and 180 passengers onboard, transmitted a general emergency signal about two and a half hours after leaving Dubai, according to the flight-tracking website.
A passenger on the flight, Miryam Shira Ohayon, said the plane was “pretty much out of control” when the alleged stabbing took place. “The co-pilot tried to murder the pilot and basically carry out a suicide attack on the plane,” she told reporters, using a speakerphone held up by her mother, who was waiting at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv.
It was a FlyDubai plane. How would you know someone was going to be a terrorist beforehand unless someone leaves a tip?
Updates
This is how our media presents an obvious terror attack:
Muslim co-pilot stabs pilot and tries to take down plane with 180 passengers
Media: pic.twitter.com/2sfYv2nI2M
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) September 30, 2026
Hero Pilot IDENTIFIED as Indian National Smit Machchhar. After being STABBED, he OPENED the cockpit door so passengers could assist.
After the Omani MUSLIM co-pilot put a knife in him, he was on the floor, bleeding, and he still clicked the cockpit open so the crew and passengers could get in and stop a crash.
That is why 174 people are hugging families in Israel instead of being a crater. God bless this man.
Pray he pulls through. Treat the attacker like the terrorist Israel already named. Investigate.
🔥🚨 BREAKING — Hero Pilot IDENTIFIED as Indian National Smit Machchhar. After being STABBED, he OPENED the cockpit door so passengers could assist.
After the Omani MUSLIM co-pilot put a knife in him, he was on the floor, bleeding, and he still clicked the cockpit open so the… pic.twitter.com/6gyouXADEd
— The Patriot Oasis™ (@ThePatriotOasis) September 30, 2026