TEL AVIV / TABUK — An Indian captain and an Israeli passenger are in the news as they successfully fought and avoided a 9/11 like incident. Captain Smit Machchhar was attacked by an Omani co-pilot in a FlyDubai flight heading for Tel Aviv after he stabbed the flight captain inside the cockpit and who attempted to deliberately crash the aircraft.
The Boeing 737 fall down approximately 14,300 feet in just 37 seconds before the crew and passengers gained control over the attacker. The aircraft subsequently made an emergency landing at Tabuk Regional Airport in northwestern Saudi Arabia.
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Mid-Air Stabbing and Extreme Altitude Drop
The incident uncovered mid-flight on Wednesday, September 30, en route from Dubai to Tel Aviv. According to flight-tracking telemetry and Israeli officials, the co-pilot—an Omani national—attacked the pilot-in-command, Captain Smit Machhar, with a knife in an alleged bid to bring down the plane.
During the struggle, the aircraft went into a steep dive, dropping over 14,000 feet in under a minute before emergency transponder codes signalling unlawful interference were transmitted. Tabuk Airport authorities confirmed receiving an emergency distress call at 8:44 AM local time, with the airliner touching down safely roughly an hour later.
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Desperate Struggle Inside the Cockpit
Despite sustaining severe stab wounds, Captain Machhar managed to fight back and unlock the reinforced cockpit door to summon outside help.
Hearing frantic shouting from the flight deck, Yaniv Hayun, an Israeli plumber travelling as a passenger rushed into the cockpit. Hayun saw the attacker wrestling with the aircraft controls and immediately pulled back on the control column to pull the aircraft out of its steep dive.
Simultaneously, a flight attendant and another passenger entered to restrain the assailant. A reserve pilot on board then took over the flight controls and stabilized the airliner.
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Netanyahu and Trump Commend Courage
Speaking to CNN, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the crew and passengers for preventing what he termed a “9/11-like catastrophe.” Netanyahu, who met Hayun at the airport, noted that the passenger was covered in the Indian captain’s blood following the scuffle.
The Israeli Prime Minister clarified that investigators have not uncovered any intelligence linking the attack to Iran. US President Donald Trump was also briefed on the incident, commending Captain Machhar as a “hero” for managing to open the cockpit door under assault, and praising Hayun’s quick intervention.
Who Is Captain Smit Machhar?
Captain Smit Machhar is an experienced pilot who joined flydubai in June 2022 as a direct-entry Boeing 737 captain.
Prior to flydubai, Machhar spent 11 years with Indian carrier SpiceJet, serving as a senior commander and line training captain with over 6,400 hours as pilot-in-command. Across his career, he has over 9,750 flight hours on Boeing 737 Next Generation (737-800) and 737 MAX variants.
Investigation Underway
Both pilots were admitted to a hospital in Tabuk for medical treatment. The Omani suspect is currently detained by Saudi security agencies for interrogation. Authorities in the United Arab Emirates have permitted Israeli officials to participate in the joint inquiry. While flydubai officially described the event as an “en-route incident,” international counter-terrorism and civil aviation regulators are probing the motive and cockpit security protocols.
