Story summary
On October 3, 2026, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu invited Captain Smit Machchhar, an Indian pilot from a flydubai flight bound for Tel Aviv that was attacked mid-air by the co-pilot, to Israel as a guest of honor. The incident occurred on September 27, 2026, when Captain Machchhar was stabbed by his co-pilot with an axe during a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv, forcing the plane to make an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. Despite being seriously injured, Captain Machchhar managed to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers and crew to subdue the attacker.
In recognition of his bravery, Netanyahu called him "a true hero" of both India and Israel during a video call released by his office, extending an invitation for him to light a flame at Israel’s Independence Day ceremony next May. The co-pilot, identified as an Omani national, was arrested in Saudi Arabia after the incident.
The attack led to significant security responses from Israeli authorities, with fighter jets being scrambled due to potential hijacking concerns. Captain Machchhar is currently recovering steadily in Abu Dhabi and has been praised by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his courage and resolve in saving 174 lives on board.
Written for “Indian Pilot Hailed Hero After Attack” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 303 other(s) covering the same event.
New footage from the hijacked FlyDubai plane shows the moment panicked passengers realised that nobody was flying the aircraft.
asserted
nobody → hijack → aircraft
In the video clip shared by Israeli media, which was filmed from a seat near the cockpit, one person says 'he tried to crash the plane,' in reference to the Omani copilot who stabbed the plane’s Indian captain.
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who → share → captain
Wednesday's flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv erupted into bloodshed at 34,000ft, after captain Smit Machchhar was knifed by his copilot as he fought to protect the jet's controls – as well as the lives of 174 passengers on board.
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he → erupt → board
We need a pilot!'
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We → need → pilot
people can be heard shouting in the dramatic footage, with the anxious cries of fellow passengers audible in the background.
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cries → hear → background
Others yell 'take him out' in the direction of the cockpit, and order passengers in the cabin to 'sit down' amid the chaotic situation.
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Others → yell → situation
In the clip, Dr. Shota Musaev, an Israeli dentist, can be seen rushing to the front of the plane to provide medical treatment.
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Musaev → see → treatment
As the shouts of 'sit down' persist, a man asks in Hebrew whether there is an additional pilot on the flight, to which someone responds affirmatively.
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someone → sit → which
The aircraft went into a nosedive before Yaniv Hayun, a plumber who helped storm the cockpit to subdue the copilot, stabilised it, allowing a second pair of FlyDubai pilots onboard to take control of the plane and land it in Saudi Arabia.
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pair → go → Arabia
New footage from the hijacked FlyDubai plane shows the moment panicked passengers realise nobody is flying the aircraft
In the video clip shared by Israeli media, which was filmed from a seat near the cockpit, one person says 'he tried to crash the plane,' in reference to the Omani copilot who stabbed the plane’s Indian captain
In the clip, Dr. Shota Musayev, an Israeli dentist, can be seen rushing to the front of the plane to provide medical treatment
Mr Machchhar was 'stabbed' or 'hit with an axe', according to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who later also said the captain was 'stabbed in the head' and his arm was 'split in two'.
According to Flightradar24, the Boeing 737 plunged by 14,125 feet in just 29 seconds around the time of the scuffle.
uncertain
Boeing → hijack → scuffle
A 9/11-style disaster was averted by the injured captain, who managed to open the cockpit door enough to allow fellow passengers and the two relief pilots to enter and take control of the aircraft.
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passengers → avert → aircraft
The Omani co-pilot was last night being interrogated in Saudi Arabia - where the plane made an emergency landing at Tabuk Regional Airport following the midair stabbing incident.
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plane → interrogate → incident
An Israeli official said: 'His social media accounts say clearly that he has been radicalised into jihadist ideology.
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he → say → ideology
He talks about killing Jews.
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He → talk → Jews
'We can't say for sure but it seems like he was a suicide actor who was probably going to try to down that plane.'
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who → say → plane
A heroic six-year-old girl and her mother played a crucial role in preventing the attempted hijacking, it has been revealed.
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it → play → hijacking
Nina Manes along with her mother, Tali, had gone to the bathroom just before the copilot stabbed the captain in an attempt to take control of the aircraft.
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copilot → go → aircraft
The girl then heard suspicious noises emerging from the cockpit.
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girl → hear → cockpit
'There was blood all over the cockpit and very, very sharp fighting moves,' she told the Israeli Channel 12.
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she → be → Channel
'I screamed: "He is stabbing the pilot, he is stabbing the pilot, come help!"
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he → scream → pilot
People looked at me and didn’t understand.
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People → look → me
'
The plane then 'entered a tailspin and began to dive'.
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plane → enter → tailspin
This is when Nina’s father, Tzvika, hurried to grab his daughter from the bathroom.
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father → hurry → bathroom
He said: 'The shrieks of my daughters when the plane nosedived [are still with me].
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plane → say → me
'
'Dad, we don't want to die,' he heard his wife and daughter screaming.
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wife → want → ?
Their cries 'were the triggers that caused me to run inside the cockpit,' he said.
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he → cause → cockpit
He and two other passengers then rushed into the cockpit to neutralise the attacker.
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He → rush → attacker
Six-year-old Nina Manes along with her mother Tali had gone to the bathroom just before the copilot stabbed the captain in an attempt to take control of the aircraft
Graphic footage filmed by passengers on the flight shows the wounded pilot Smit Machchhar lying on the floor as others tend to him
New footage has since emerged of the bloodied knifeman sat on the floor of the plane as his head is bowed and hands are tied - while Mr Machchhar is stretchered out.
One of the heroic passengers on board was Georgian Jewish dentist, Dr Musaev.
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One → go → board
Speaking exclusively to the Daily Mail after returning to Israel, the 47-year-old recounted how he rushed to the aid of the dying Mr Machchhar – as the attacker pleaded with him to end his life.
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attacker → speak → life
'Everything was going smoothly when, suddenly, we felt the aircraft drop sharply.
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aircraft → go → ?
'We thought it was just turbulence.
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it → think → ?
I took out my camera and started filming.
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I → take → camera
Exactly half a minute later, we heard noises from the front: shouting, and a woman screaming, "Knife! Knife!",' Mr Musaev said.
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Musaev → hear → Knife
'That was when I got up.
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I → get → ?
I realised it was a terrorist attack and joined the people ahead of us, who were the first to rush into the cockpit and pull the terrorist out.
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who → realise → terrorist
The group of four men, he recounted, then 'grabbed the attacker by the neck' as they dragged him out of the cockpit.
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they → recount → cockpit
'We tied the terrorist up, binding his hands and feet,' he added. '
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he → tie → hands
[The attacker said] nothing apart from begging us: "Kill me".
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attacker → say → me
Passengers from the flight wait at Tabuk airport in Saudi Arabia after their flight from Dubai to Israel was diverted
Passengers told Israel's Channel 12 that they heard shouts from the front of the jet relating to the altercation between the pilots
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they → wait → pilots
In the same moment, Mr Musaev was pleaded with by the dying captain as he helped administer first aid, who said: 'Save me.
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who → plead → me
…and 35 more, not listed.
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