A Flydubai Boeing 737 MAX bound for Tel Aviv diverted from Dubai after a violent altercation in the cockpit, forcing a rapid descent that could have caused a mid‑air breakup. The incident began when a passenger, later identified as Captain Smit Machchhar, was attacked by co‑pilot Hamam al‑Hammami, an Omani national, with a crash axe that bypassed security protocols. Blood‑stained footage from the cabin shows the struggle and the co‑pilot’s attempts to subdue the captain.
The plane, carrying more than 170 passengers, dropped 17,000 feet in two minutes before emergency crews rerouted it toward Jordan, landing safely in Saudi Arabia’s Tabuk. The crash caused damage to the aircraft’s rudder, but the crew managed to stabilize the aircraft and prevent a catastrophic failure. Passengers, including a six‑year‑old girl and her mother, alerted the crew to the violence, and several cabin crew members and passengers rushed to the cockpit to help.
Among those who intervened was Yaniv Hayun, a 50‑year‑old sewage‑plumbing business owner, who, with fellow passengers Tzvika Manes and Asaf Rajuan, used techniques seen on television to restrain the co‑pilot. Hayun later received praise from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for preventing the plane from crashing. A dentist, Dr. Shota Musayev, administered emergency medical treatment to Captain Machchhar, stopping severe bleeding and stabilising him before surgery.
Israeli officials, including Netanyahu, have suggested the attack was a suspected terrorist act linked to Islamist radicalisation, with the co‑pilot’s background raising questions about security protocols. Investigations are ongoing in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Oman, the US and Israel to determine motive and any external connections. Both pilots have been transferred to the UAE for further medical treatment and investigation, while the five passengers who helped subdue the attacker are expected to receive Israel’s Presidential Award for Civilian Heroism.
