Co-Pilot Stabs Captain, Tries to Crash Dubai-to-Tel Aviv Jet; Passengers Storm Cockpit as Plane Plunges 14,000 Feet

On September 30, 2026, flydubai Flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv experienced a mid-air cockpit attack that Israeli officials described as an attempted hijacking or crash attempt. The co-pilot, an Omani national employed by the airline for about nine months, allegedly stabbed the captain and tried to take control of the Boeing 737. Passengers and off-duty crew intervened, the plane made a dramatic descent, and it diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. All passengers survived.

Here are the most striking elements:

Cockpit violence and suspected intent to crash. Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz, said the co-pilot stabbed the captain and appeared to be trying to sabotage systems or force the aircraft down. Passengers later described finding the wounded captain on the floor and the attacker still in the cockpit. Some accounts called it a possible suicide or terror attempt aimed at the large number of Israeli passengers (reports put the total at 174 people, with most of them Israeli). The co-pilot was later detained and questioned by Saudi authorities. Motive remains under investigation by UAE, Saudi, and Israeli officials.

Extreme flight-path change. Flight-tracking data showed the jet cruising near 34,000 feet over Saudi Arabia when it dropped roughly 14,000 feet in about 30 seconds, then veered off course, briefly entered Jordanian airspace, and flew erratically before heading to Tabuk. The aircraft transmitted the general emergency code (7700) followed by the hijacking/unlawful interference code (7500). Israeli fighter jets were scrambled as a precaution. Reports also noted visible damage to the rudder afterward.

Passenger and reserve-crew intervention. Passengers near the front, including Israelis, forced their way toward the cockpit after hearing commotion and seeing the plane dive. They helped subdue the attacker. A reserve flydubai crew traveling as passengers then took the controls and landed the plane safely. Medical help on board (including a dentist, nurse, and doctor in some accounts) treated the stabbed captain. Passengers later described screams, blood, and a brief belief that the plane was going down.

Geopolitical and operational fallout. The incident occurred on a route enabled by UAE-Israel normalization. Israel later suspended flydubai operations to the country pending an inquiry into crew vetting and possible treaty issues. The plane sat on the ground in Saudi Arabia for hours before passengers were flown onward on a replacement aircraft. UAE authorities opened their own investigation and described it as a "security incident." The combination of an apparent insider threat, a high-profile Israel-bound flight, and an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia made the event unusually charged.

Details are still being pieced together from passenger testimony, flight data, and official statements; some early reports differed on exact nationalities of the flight crew and the precise sequence inside the cockpit. Investigations by multiple countries are ongoing.