Flydubai captain describes axe attack and plane nosedive

Summary

Captain Smit Machchhar said the aircraft’s nose steeply going down was the scariest thing he felt after his co-pilot began attacking him, The Japan Times reports. He also described blocking axe blows and screaming for help while trying to open the cockpit door during the attack aboard flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv last month. The Guardian reports that the UAE attorney general said the co-pilot intended to crash the plane into Ben Gurion airport; The Straits Times says UAE prosecutors said the hijacking plan was inspired by the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. This follows earlier reports that Machchhar recounted struggling to open the cockpit door and alert others after the attack.

Timeline

1. The Straits Times

   18 Oct 2026, 16:50 UTCSource ↗

   The Straits Times reports that the captain described blocking axe blows during an attack by a co-pilot, and that UAE prosecutors said the hijacking plan was inspired by the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

2. The Guardian

   18 Oct 2026, 17:27 UTCSource ↗

   The Guardian reports that Machchhar said he blocked axe blows and screamed for help while trying to open the cockpit door, and that the UAE attorney general said the co-pilot intended to crash into Ben Gurion airport.

3. The Japan Times

   19 Oct 2026, 00:51 UTCSource ↗

   The Japan Times reports that Machchhar said the scariest thing he felt after his co-pilot began attacking him was the aircraft nose steeply going down.