A FlyDubai Boeing 737 flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv suffers a mid-air cockpit confrontation, during which Indian captain Smit Machchhar is stabbed. Multiple outlets report that after the attack, the aircraft rapidly descends by more than 14,000 feet and is diverted to Tabuk in Saudi Arabia, where it makes an emergency landing. Machchhar is injured and receives treatment in hospital in Tabuk.
Accounts also describe Machchhar’s role in preventing a crash. Reports say he fends off the attacker and manages to open or trigger the cockpit door release, allowing passengers, crew and other people, including off-duty pilots, to enter and help overpower the co-pilot. Authorities investigate the incident and its motive.
Outlets differ on emphasis: some focus on Machchhar’s background and the details of how he helped secure the cockpit, while others highlight the broader group effort by passengers and staff after the door release. Other reporting also states the co-pilot is arrested following the incident, with claims that he had attempted to crash the aircraft.
