‘Tied attacker with zip ties and headphones’: Passengers recall flydubai pilot stabbing

A flydubai flight experienced a cockpit confrontation that resulted in a passenger stabbing Indian Captain Smit Machchhar, who was attempting to crash the aircraft. Passengers aboard flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv described the terrifying incident, with some recalling how they and several others managed to overpower the attacker and secure his restraint using their zip ties and headphones.

The plane plummeted nearly 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds before stabilizing and descending again, prompting passengers to rush to the cockpit. Passengers Peleg Itali and Yaniv Hayoun shared harrowing accounts of the turbulence and the fight that ensued. The Indian pilot, despite suffering severe injuries, fought back, opened the cockpit door, and allowed another pilot to take control, averting a mid-air disaster.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised Machchhar's bravery, stating that the captain's actions prevented a catastrophic incident and saved the lives of 174 people on board, including Israeli citizens and others. The pilot was airlifted to a hospital in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, where he was receiving treatment and recovering.