12 minutes of madness: How Flydubai pilot, passengers saved plane midfall - Al Jazeera
An Indian pilot, Captain Smit Machchhar, successfully prevented a plane crash after being stabbed by his copilot on a Flydubai flight. Passengers and crew intervened to subdue the attacker, while international leaders praised the pilot's bravery and the quick actions of an Israeli passenger.
Why it matters
The incident underscores the critical importance of cockpit security and the potential for passenger intervention in extreme in-flight emergencies.
As it plunged 17,000ft in under two minutes, a quick-thinking captain and passengers saved the plane from crashing.
x whatsapp-stroke copylink google Add Al Jazeera on Google info Indian pilot Smit Machchhar, who the leaders of Israel and India hailed as a hero for saving passengers after he was stabbed by his colleague in an alleged attempt to crash a Flydubai plane on Wednesday, smiles in an unidentified location in this undated handout image released on September 30, 2026 [Israel Foreign Ministry/Handout via Reuters] By Al Jazeera Staff Published On 2 Oct 2026 2 Oct 2026 The “hero” Indian captain of Flydubai Flight FZ1073 has described how he fought to open the door to the cockpit of his plane as he was being stabbed by his copilot on Wednesday.
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