A flydubai flight heading towards Israel found itself at the centre of a terrifying mid-air emergency after an alleged cockpit attack sent the aircraft plunging thousands of feet. The situation became so serious that Israeli authorities reportedly prepared for the possibility of shooting down the passenger jet if it continued towards Israeli territory. But before that decision had to be considered, something crucial happened inside the aircraft. The captain managed to fight back, passengers and crew reportedly overpowered the attacker, and the aircraft eventually diverted towards Saudi Arabia.
Flydubai Flight Sent A Hijack Signal
The incident involved flydubai Flight 1073, which was travelling from Dubai towards Israel with more than 170 passengers and crew on board, most of them Israeli. According to a CBS News report, the aircraft briefly entered Jordanian airspace after the situation inside the cockpit turned violent. Omani co-pilot Hamam al-Hammami allegedly stabbed Captain Smit Machchhar and attempted to take control of the aircraft. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the co-pilot attempted to crash the plane. The aircraft then reportedly plunged nearly 18,000 feet in a matter of seconds, raising immediate concerns that the flight could have been hijacked.
The sudden descent and the hijack signal prompted Israeli authorities to activate emergency procedures that had been prepared for a situation involving a rogue passenger aircraft. Israel has reportedly spent years preparing for such a possibility, particularly after the September 11 attacks in the United States. According to CBS News, Israeli authorities had practised procedures for a possible 9/11-style event involving an aircraft approaching the country.
Israel Activated Its Emergency Protocol
When the aircraft began its rapid descent, Israeli authorities tried to establish contact with the cockpit. According to the report, there was no response. That prompted a pre-established committee to quickly convene and establish a command centre to assess the situation. Fighter jets were scrambled and Israeli airspace was closed as officials tried to determine whether the aircraft had actually been hijacked and what was happening inside it.
The situation could have taken a much darker turn if the aircraft had continued towards Israel. However, the flight eventually changed direction and headed towards Saudi Arabia. Saudi authorities also scrambled their own fighter jets after becoming aware of the emergency. Israeli authorities then attempted to contact the aircraft again. This time, according to sources cited by CBS News, they learned that the situation inside the aircraft had changed.
Captain And Passengers Helped Regain Control
BREAKING: a Flydubai Dubai–Tel Aviv jet, FZ1073, dropped roughly 17,400 feet in under two minutes, flashed “emergency” then “hijack” then “emergency” again on Flightradar24, and diverted into Tabuk after what Israeli officials tell CNN was a violent fight between the two pilots in the cockpit, while Channel 12 has a senior Israeli official saying the copilot is under investigation amid signs he tried to crash the plane and Saudi Tabuk’s airport operator says both captain and co-pilot were taken to hospital, per CNN, Times of Israel/Channel 12, FR24, Cluster2.
— Shanaka Anslem Perera ⚡ (@shanaka86) September 30, 2026
Sources told CBS News that Captain Smit Machchhar had managed to fight off the co-pilot long enough to unlock the cockpit door. Once the door was opened, a group of Israeli passengers and flydubai staff reportedly intervened and helped overpower the attacker. Two off-duty pilots who were travelling on the aircraft then took control of the flight and helped divert it towards Saudi Arabia.
The aircraft eventually made an emergency landing in Tabuk. That decision proved crucial because the plane was no longer heading towards Israeli territory. It meant that the most extreme stage of Israel’s hijack response did not have to be carried out.
“If Flight 1073 had gotten within a certain distance, Israel would have sent jets into Jordanian airspace to investigate,” the sources told CBS News.
What Would Israel Have Done?
The reported Israeli protocol gives an idea of how authorities were preparing to respond if the aircraft had continued towards the country. Sources said Israeli fighter pilots would have approached the aircraft and attempted to establish visual contact with the cockpit. They would have tried to determine whether the pilots were responsive and whether something appeared to be wrong inside the aircraft.
“The Israeli fighter pilots would have gotten as close as possible to inspect the cockpit and try to make visual contact with the pilot to assess the situation,” the sources said.
“They would have then done the same to the cabin to assess the status of the passengers. If there appeared to be panic, they would relay their findings to the Air Force and the pre-established committee,” they added.
The objective would have been to understand whether the aircraft was actually under the control of a hijacker. If it was confirmed that the plane had been hijacked, continued towards Israel and maintained radio silence without making demands, the situation would have been escalated to the country’s top leadership.
Shootdown Was Considered A Last Resort
According to the CBS report, the protocol allows for an extreme response if a rogue aircraft is heading towards Israel and poses a clear threat. However, such a decision could not simply be made by fighter pilots in the air. The defence minister and prime minister would reportedly have been consulted before any such action.
“The protocol calls for a rogue flight approaching Israel to be shot out of the sky, but only the prime minister could have made that decision,” sources told CBS.
The reasoning behind the protocol is based on the possibility of a hijacked passenger aircraft being deliberately used as a weapon. Sources told CBS that Israeli authorities believe shooting down a rogue aircraft could, in an extreme situation, prevent a much larger loss of life if the plane was deliberately directed towards a major target such as the Azrieli buildings, an airport or another high-value location. That decision was ultimately not required in the flydubai case. The aircraft turned towards Saudi Arabia, the cockpit was regained and the flight eventually landed safely in Tabuk.
What Happened To Hamam Al-Hammami?
Hamam al-Hammami, who is accused of attacking Captain Smit Machchhar, is reportedly being held in the United Arab Emirates. According to the report, he allegedly told investigators that he had planned the attack even before joining flydubai. He reportedly said that his intention was to kill the pilot, take control of the aircraft, obtain ground clearance and then crash the plane at Ben Gurion Airport.
The claims remain part of an ongoing investigation. Sources cited by CBS News said the attempted hijacking was likely a lone-wolf attack, although investigators are still examining the motive and circumstances surrounding the incident. CNN has reported that al-Hammami had worked for flydubai for around eight months. A now-deleted LinkedIn profile reportedly stated that he had previously worked with Oman Air for seven years before leaving the airline in February 2025.
How The Flydubai Flight Was Saved
The incident could have ended very differently had the aircraft continued towards Israel while authorities remained unable to establish contact with the cockpit. Instead, the actions of those inside the aircraft changed the course of the emergency. Captain Smit Machchhar reportedly managed to fight back despite being injured, passengers and flydubai staff helped overpower the attacker, and two off-duty pilots assisted in taking control of the aircraft.
The flight eventually landed safely in Saudi Arabia, avoiding the situation that Israeli authorities had prepared for. The reported incident has also highlighted the importance of emergency procedures when authorities lose communication with a passenger aircraft and suspect a hijacking.
For now, the investigation into the alleged attack, the co-pilot’s intentions and the events inside the cockpit is continuing. But one thing is clear from the reported sequence of events: the situation came dangerously close to triggering one of the most serious aviation security protocols, before the people inside the aircraft managed to regain control.
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