The pilot of a passenger plane flying to Israel was stabbed several times by his co-pilot in the cockpit early Wednesday, according to officials — causing the aircraft to plunge 18,000 feet in what was feared to be a “terrorist attack in mid-air.”
The FlyDubai Boeing 737 Max 8 plane flying to Tel Aviv from the United Arab Emirates was cruising at around 34,000 feet when one of the pilots tried to take control in what Israeli sources say was an attempted hijacking, the Jerusalem Post reported.
“One pilot stabbed the other and tried to do 9/11,” an official told Channel 12 of the horror that saw Israeli fighter jets scrambled as a precaution.
A passenger was covered in blood after trying to break up a stabbing in the cockpit on a Tel-Aviv bound flight. @aviationbrk/X
Some of the 174 passengers onboard also filmed horrific footage of one of the pilots covered in blood.
“We’re here during the hijacking of an airplane. At this point we’ve subdued the terrorists,” one passenger said, begging for help as blood ran down his head.
“We were either going to crash or be murdered,” another passenger told I24 News.
“It was like a terrorist attack in mid-air.”
Flydubai flight FZ1073 jet seen with damage to the plane. obtained by NY Post
The attacker is believed to be Omani, sources told the Jerusalem Post.
Some 174 passengers were on the flight that was forced into making an emergency landing. @aviationbrk/X
The plane dropped from approximately 34,000 feet to around 15,400 feet in just 12 minutes, according to FlightAware data. Photos show its rudder was estroyed at some point.
One passenger, known only as Meital, said a crew member “tried to crash the plane” before cabin crew and other passengers rushed to stop the aggressor.
Yasmin Abukasis of Israel, whose daughter is traveling on a flydubai plane, speaks to the media at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026. AFP via Getty Images
“Someone shouted ‘stabbing’ and my husband understood what was happening and rushed to the front of the plane.
“Along with other Israelis they neutralized the terrorist,” she told Channel 12.
The plane had left Dubai and was bound for Israel. via REUTERS
She said there was a “lot of blood.” Footage has since emerged showing one passenger with a head wound, and another whose white T-shirt was covered in blood spatters.
Other passengers recounted ordering the crew to regain control of the aircraft.
“I shouted at [two other pilots at the back] to run and take control of the plane,” they told the Jerusalem Post.
Passengers are pictured at the arrivals of the Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv on Wednesday, September 30, 2026. AFP via Getty Images
“From what I understand, the pilot tried to kill himself with us,” a traveler, known only as Uri, told local news outlet Walla.
The IDF, Shin Bet — Israel’s Security Agency — and Mossad suspect it was terrorism, according to reports.
The plane made an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia — a civilian and military base in the kingdom.
A passenger with blood on his face speaks to the camera in a video recorded moments after a fight aboard a flydubai plane. X/newsisrael13
Relieved passengers celebrated once the plane landed on Saudi soil, video shared by Israeli media shows.
The Boeing plane’s rudder was damaged amid the sharp drop in altitude.
Arik Zer, a former Shin Bet head of flight security, said the damage could not have been caused by any external object.
FlyDubai — the low-cost sister carrier of Emirates airlines—operated the flight. A spokesperson confirmed an incident occurred and that the plane landed safely in Tabuk.
A passenger on the plane films from inside the flight that made an emergency landing. e2w
“Our teams are working closely with the relevant authorities,” the carrier said.
“Further updates will be issued as additional confirmed details become available,” the spokesperson said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the situation is under control, with officials working to put passengers on alternative flights.
Israeli air space was temporarily closed and Netanyahu is meeting with his defense ministers, the Post reported.
Security services vehicles patrol outside Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Airport in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, September 30, 2026. AFP via Getty Images
The flight left Dubai at 6:50 a.m. Wednesday and the UAE has become a popular vacation destination for Israeli tourists since the countries normalized relations in 2020.
Flydubai operates daily return flights between Dubai and Tel Aviv, a route that is popular among Israeli nationals. The flight path normally uses airspace over Saudi Arabia and Jordan.
With Post wires