Watch: Radar Track Video Shows Hijacked Plane to Israel Plummeted as Middle Eastern Pilot Hijacked Plane
The desperate, life or death struggle aboard a hijacked airliner en route to Israel from Dubai on Wednesday is graphically illustrated in a medium few civilians bother to look at:
FlightRadar24, a Sweden-based site that tracks real-time flight information from aircraft around the world, has playback of FlyDubai Flight 1073 to Tel Aviv that shows the plane cruising for more than three hours at about 34,000 feet, then plummeting about 16,000 feet — or more than three miles — before passengers could subdue a murderous man at the controls and stabilize the aircraft.
The ordeal was launched when a man NBC News identified as the flight’s pilot stabbed the aircraft’s co-pilot in an apparent attempt to crash the plane — and kill all 174 aboard.
The co-pilot, identified as Capt. Smit Machchhar, an Indian national, managed to fight off his attacker long enough to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers to swarm in and overpower the rogue pilot.
A post on X noted the rapid flight descent occured in under two minutes, with the plane, a Boeing 737 Max 8, hitting speeds of nearly 600 knots, well in excess of its maximum specifications of 541 knots.
A violent altercation and stabbing in the cockpit of a FlyDubai flight over Saudi Arabia this morning caused the 737-8 to plummet 18,400 feet in just under two minutes, exceeding its maximum operating speed by nearly 100 kts.
The aircraft landed safely in Tabuk. pic.twitter.com/POg0WCN1WS
— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) September 30, 2026
A reported picture on social media of the aircraft after making an emergency landing in Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia showed that its rudder was severely damaged during the rapid descent.
A photo showing damage to the tail of FlyDubai Flight 1073 incurred during it’s rapid descent. pic.twitter.com/zHK9hL9VL4
— Faytuks Network (@FaytuksNetwork) September 30, 2026
Machchhar is being heralded as a hero for managing to get the cockpit door open, so the attacker could be subdued.
Off-duty pilots onboard then took over and landed the aircraft safely in Saudi Arabia.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu posted on X, “My salute to the Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar for his extraordinary bravery. Despite being stabbed and seriously injured, he fought back, resisted, opened the cockpit door, and enabled passengers and crew to overpower the attacker — preventing a catastrophic mid-air disaster.”
“He saved the lives of 174 people, including Israeli citizens and other nationals. I wish Captain Machchhar a speedy and full recovery. He is a true hero.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu:
My salute to the Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar for his extraordinary bravery.
Despite being stabbed and seriously injured, he fought back, resisted, opened the cockpit door, and enabled passengers and crew to overpower the attacker —…
— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) September 30, 2026
The Jerusalem Post reported that 166 passengers were Israelis.
Machchhar suffered “massive blood loss,” according to CNN.
Dr. Shota Musaev, a dentist on board who tended to the wounded man, said, “I started helping the pilot because he had lost a lot of blood and was in bad shape. He was covered in cuts — his head, his hands — they were practically sliced open, almost severed in two.”
Machchhar is in stable condition in a hospital in Saudi Arabia, according to India’s embassy in Riyadh.
The would-be hijacker is in custody in Saudi Arabia, according to NBC.
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