ARABIAN DESERT — Passengers and an off-duty pilot subdued co-pilot Hamam al Hamami after he stabbed the captain and seized controls of FlyDubai Flight 1073 over the Arabian Desert. The Boeing 737 Max plummeted 14,000 feet in seconds before an off-duty pilot grabbed the controls and righted the plane.

The aircraft carried 174 mostly Israeli passengers when the attack occurred. Captain Smit Machchhar fought the co-pilot inside the locked cockpit after being struck from behind. '"The co-pilot, he wanted to pray. And suddenly there was a big blow to the back of my head,"' Machchhar said.

He managed to open the cockpit door to alert the cabin crew and passengers. 'I did try to stop him, and that's when I gave everything that I had, and just went for the door and opened the door and thankfully people were waiting,' Smit Machchhar said.

Zvika Manes, an Israeli passenger seated in the first row with his family, heard the commotion escalate. Tali Manes raised the alarm on board after hearing a suspicious commotion from the flight deck. Zvika Manes heard his daughter shouting that someone was stabbing the pilot.

'I heard my daughter shouting, "He's stabbing the pilot. He's stabbing the pilot." She was shouting like animal,' Manes said.

Manes described his immediate reaction to the crisis as a shift in instinct. '"I saw my daughter and my wife, and I understand that I must run. I turn, switch to an animal switch, and I feel really like an animal. … I decided that we are going to survive, try to survive, to save my family,"' Manes said.

He joined other passengers in rushing toward the front of the aircraft. Yaniv Hayoun, an Israeli plumber, joined the passengers who ran toward the captain. Passengers restrained the co-pilot, Hamam al Hamami, preventing further harm.

'He tried to resist, and we didn't know if he has a knife,' one passenger reported. Two off-duty pilots were on board the flight and assisted in regaining control of the aircraft.

And the other pilot that came from his seat, because they are not flying, jumped over obstacles to reach the cockpit. An off-duty pilot grabbed the controls and righted the plane after it had nosedived into the Arabian Desert nearly at the speed of sound. Passengers experienced G-forces described as being like a roller coaster during the descent.

Shota Musaev, a dentist, provided emergency medical care to the injured captain. Shota Musaev treated stab wounds on Captain Machchhar's head and hands. Musaev assessed the severity of the injuries and urged the crew to land immediately.

'Yes, I think we have not more time. I check everything, of course, I said to the steward, "We have no time – land the plane,"' Musaev said. He later reflected on the collective effort that saved lives. '"If he hadn't been smart and heroic, we would not be alive. On the other hand, if we had not been heroes, he would not be alive,"' Musaev said in Hebrew. According to the Israeli Medical Association, Musaev is a licensed medical professional with a 15-year record of volunteer emergency care in Israel.

The plane landed at an airport in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia has no diplomatic relations with Israel. Captain Machchhar was taken to a hospital and is recovering.

Officials in the United Arab Emirates stated Hamam al Hamami committed a 'terrorist act.' The UAE Ministry of Interior classified the incident as a terrorist act. Hamam al Hamami is from Oman. He had been banned from flying in Oman due to concerns he had adopted extremist views, as confirmed by Omani authorities. Israeli investigators uncovered social media posts by Hamam al Hamami where he talked about killing Jews. Hamam al Hamami worked for a short time for Oman Air, where he entered new pilot training, before being transferred to an office job and resigned around 2024.

Questions regarding security protocols have emerged following the incident. A law requiring lists of flight crews to be sent to Israeli security agencies passed in 2023. The Israel Tax Authority confirmed it received the list of passengers and crew for FlyDubai Flight 1073 before takeoff.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government vowed to fix security cracks in the process. Earlier in the year, the Shin Bet and Israeli security forces had barred El Al, Arkia, and Israir from flying to the UAE due to security concerns regarding baggage screening.

Why It Matters

The incident shows vulnerabilities in international aviation security, particularly concerning crew vetting across different jurisdictions. The co-pilot had been banned from flying in his home country of Oman due to extremist concerns, yet he was able to secure a position with FlyDubai and operate a flight carrying predominantly Israeli passengers. The classification of the event as a terrorist act by UAE officials reflects the geopolitical sensitivity of the attack, especially given that the aircraft landed in Saudi Arabia, a country with no diplomatic relations with Israel.

The response from passengers and off-duty crew members prevented a potential catastrophe, demonstrating the critical role of civilian intervention in cockpit breaches. The subsequent review of security protocols by Israeli authorities, including the enforcement of crew list submissions mandated by 2023 legislation, indicates a systemic reassessment of how foreign pilots are screened before entering Israeli airspace or operating flights with significant Israeli passenger loads.

What's New

Additional reporting has clarified the composition of the passengers and the background of key individuals involved. FlyDubai Flight 1073 carried 174 mostly Israeli passengers. Zvika Manes, an Israeli passenger, was part of a family seated in the first row of FlyDubai Flight 1073.

No prior public records or verifiable background information about Manes's professional history or previous incidents were found in the search results. Israeli investigators found social media posts attributed to Hamam al Hamami expressing intentions to kill Jews, as reported by Israeli security agencies.

Further details have emerged regarding the medical response and regulatory context. Shota Musaev, the dentist who treated the injured captain, is a licensed medical professional with a 15-year record of volunteer emergency care in Israel, according to the Israeli Medical Association.

The United Arab Emirates classified Hamam al Hamami's actions as a 'terrorist act,' according to a statement from the UAE Ministry of Interior. Hamam al Hamami, the co-pilot, had been banned from flying in Oman due to concerns about extremist views, as confirmed by Omani authorities.