US President Donald Trump has recounted a dramatic account of a Flydubai flight in which passengers and crew allegedly helped overpower a co-pilot who attacked the captain as the aircraft rapidly descended.
Trump said on Wednesday that he had discussed the incident with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu but cautioned that he could not independently verify all details of the account.
“This is the story that I heard. I don’t know if it’s true, but that’s the story that I got from Bibi,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office, referring to Netanyahu.
Co-pilot allegedly attacked captain
The Flydubai flight, FZ1073, was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv with 174 people on board, most of them Israeli nationals, when the incident occurred.
According to Israeli officials, the co-pilot stabbed the captain, identified by Netanyahu’s office as Indian national Smit Machchhar.
The captain was injured but reportedly managed to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers and crew to enter and help restrain the attacker.
Trump said an Israeli passenger described as a plumber played a role in subduing the co-pilot. He said the passenger had no flying experience but helped pull the aircraft out of its dive.
Reuters reported that a second pair of Flydubai pilots who were travelling on the aircraft subsequently took control and safely landed the plane in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
Flight-tracking data cited by Reuters indicated that the aircraft dropped nearly 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds during the incident.
Passengers help overpower attacker
Passengers described a chaotic struggle inside the cockpit as they attempted to restrain the co-pilot.
Israeli officials praised the passengers and crew members who intervened. Netanyahu later met some of those who helped stop the attack after they arrived in Israel.
Trump described the co-pilot as “perhaps a terrorist or perhaps a whack-job,” while stressing that he could not verify the account or the motive behind the attack.
The co-pilot was taken into Saudi custody after the aircraft made an emergency landing in Tabuk. An Israeli official identified him as an Omani national.
Flydubai said the reasons behind the incident remained unknown and urged against premature speculation about the motive.
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Israel announces tighter pilot checks
The incident prompted Israel to announce tighter security checks for pilots arriving in the country.
A spokesperson for Netanyahu said authorities would work to establish the identity of every pilot flying into Israel and conduct security checks.
The incident also created a diplomatic complication after Saudi Arabia reportedly rejected an Israeli request to send military aircraft to retrieve the Israeli passengers from Tabuk.
According to two security sources cited by Reuters, Israel had been preparing to send Super Hercules aircraft, but Saudi Arabia, which does not have diplomatic relations with Israel, declined the request.
The passengers instead continued their journey aboard a Flydubai aircraft.
Flydubai describes incident as cockpit altercation
The UAE government had not immediately commented on the incident.
Flydubai described the episode as an “altercation” in the cockpit and said the aircraft was subsequently diverted safely to Tabuk.
The UAE’s aviation regulator said the flight experienced a security incident that was brought under control.
The incident comes amid heightened security concerns in Israel and weeks before the country’s elections. It also highlights the aviation links between Israel and the United Arab Emirates following the establishment of diplomatic relations under the US-brokered Abraham Accords in 2020.
Flydubai operates daily flights between Dubai and Tel Aviv.
