Cockpit Attack on Flydubai Flight and Debates Over Suspicious Motives

During a Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv, panic erupted when the co-pilot attacked the pilot inside the cabin with a sharp object. The aircraft made a safe landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, after being brought under control through the intervention of passengers and off-duty pilots on board.

Horrific Moments in the Cockpit

At around nine-thirty local time on Wednesday, a passenger on a Flydubai flight en route from Dubai to Tel Aviv noticed loud banging noises hitting the cockpit door and alerted a flight attendant. When the attendant opened the door, a bloody struggle was witnessed inside between an injured pilot and the co-pilot holding a sharp object.

The Aircraft Went into a Steep Dive

As the controls of the plane were left unattended during the co-pilot's attack, the aircraft lost sixteen thousand feet of altitude within about a minute and went into a steep dive. The intervention of passengers and a plumber pulling the plane out of the dive averted a potential catastrophe.

Passengers and Pilots Intervened

Two off-duty pilots on board took over the controls and successfully landed the plane in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, ninety minutes later. Meanwhile, passengers tied up the assailant with a telephone cable while a dentist provided medical attention to the injured Indian pilot, Smit Machchhar.

Identity and Motive of the Attacker Under Debate

Regional sources stated that the co-pilot was an Omani national and had been banned from flying in Oman due to extremist views. Investigations and expert debates are ongoing as to whether the incident was terror-related or a suicide attempt.