TEL AVIV (Realist English). The attempted hijacking of Flydubai flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv on 30 September has become the subject of simultaneous investigations by the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Israel. The Indian captain, despite serious wounds, opened the cockpit door, allowing passengers to subdue the attacker. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the co-pilot had “undergone radical Islamist indoctrination.”
Captain’s testimony: “I could not let others die”
Captain Smit Machchhar, an Indian citizen, gave testimony from a hospital in Abu Dhabi in a video call with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He said that at the moment of the attack he was lying on the cockpit floor, bleeding, but realizing the plane was diving, he decided to make a “last attempt.”
“I thought that if I don’t get up, the passengers will die. I knew the plane was falling. I told myself: the door is right here, just open it. I managed to do it, and people came in,” NDTV quoted him as saying.
According to him, during the struggle he recited the “Hanuman Chalisa” — a Hindu hymn that he believes gives strength and courage. Modi said that “his courage, patience, and quick decisions saved the lives of many people.”
Timeline of events
Flight FZ1073 was operated on a Boeing 737 MAX, with 174 people on board, most of them Israeli citizens. About two and a half hours after departing Dubai, the aircraft sent a distress signal, then switched to code 7500, indicating hijacking.
According to Flightradar24, the aircraft lost about 14,000 feet (more than 4,200 meters) in less than 30 seconds. Passengers described it as a “roller coaster.”
According to Israeli official data, the co-pilot, an Omani citizen, stabbed the commander and tried to disable the aircraft’s systems. The wounded captain opened the cockpit door, after which passengers burst in and subdued the attacker. One of the passengers, Yaniv Hayoun, said: “I pulled the attacker out. After that we took control of the plane, I pulled the yoke, leveled the aircraft.”
Two reserve pilots who were on board as passengers took over the controls and safely landed the plane in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
Netanyahu’s statements: radical indoctrination and suicidal intent
In an interview with Fox News, the Israeli prime minister said the attacker had “undergone radical Islamist indoctrination.” He also pointed to clear suicidal signs: “He lies there, this attacker. He shouts to the crew: ‘Kill me, kill me.’ It’s clear — he was suicidal.”
Netanyahu added that it is still “too early to say” about possible ties to Iran, but “within a few days” this may become clearer. Israeli officials view the incident as an attempted “terrorist attack” and rule out the version of mental illness among the pilots.
Investigation: UAE leads the case, Saudi Arabia conducts initial questioning
The UAE Prosecutor General ordered an investigation, since the aircraft is registered in the UAE and flies under its flag — Emirati jurisdiction applies even to crimes committed outside the country.
Investigators are checking motive, possible ties to terrorist organizations, and possible advance planning. It is expected that after the initial investigation in Saudi Arabia is completed, the suspect will be handed over to the UAE.
Key unresolved questions: how an Omani citizen, from a country without diplomatic relations with Israel, was allowed on a flight to Tel Aviv; how a knife got into the cockpit; and whether the attacker had ties to extremist networks.
Geopolitical background
The incident occurred several weeks before elections in Israel — the first since the attacks of 7 October 2023. Israeli security services, according to media reports, had already expressed concern about potential threats amid regional instability and the conflict with Iran.
Four Israeli passengers who took part in subduing the attacker have been nominated for the presidential medal for civil courage.
