Flydubai co-pilot attacked captain with cockpit crash axe during flight

An Omani co-pilot attacked the Indian captain of a Flydubai flight on September 30, 2026, using an axe kept inside the cockpit. The flight was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv when the attack happened at around 33,000 feet. The plane dropped quickly to 17,000 feet in about one minute. Captain Smit Machchhar was seriously injured but stopped the co-pilot from crashing the aircraft. The plane made an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, roughly one hour later. The Indian Ambassador to the UAE said the captain is recovering well. The co-pilot used the aircraft's own emergency axe, not a weapon brought from outside. The UAE has opened an investigation. Israeli officials have suggested the co-pilot may have been radicalized, but investigators have not confirmed a motive.