A passenger has described the terrifying moment a bloodied plane captain burst from the cockpit after another pilot allegedly stabbed him—before the aircraft plunged 17,000 feet in less than a minute.
Tzvika Manes, who was sitting in the front row of FlyDubai Flight FZ 1073, said the ordeal unfolded like a “horror movie” as the aircraft traveled from the United Arab Emirates to Tel Aviv on Wednesday.
Manes told The New York Times that he noticed the cockpit door partly open before seeing a pilot emerge covered in blood.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu identified the injured crew member as Capt. Smit Machchhar, an Indian citizen.
Manes said Machchhar appeared to have been badly wounded but somehow managed to escape the cockpit.
“The Indian pilot was struggling—he managed to open the door to get help to save himself,” Manes said.
He said Machchhar fell out of the cockpit while the other pilot was on top of him and continued stabbing him.
Passengers and crew then rushed forward to restrain the attacker. Manes said he was among three passengers who helped subdue him, using cables from the aircraft’s headphone sets to tie him up.
But the nightmare was far from over.
As the struggle unfolded, the aircraft suddenly began losing altitude. Passengers screamed as the plane plunged thousands of feet, with some people “flying out of their seats,” according to Manes.
Flight-tracking data showed the Boeing 737 dropping from roughly 34,000 feet to around 16,600 feet while flying over Saudi Arabia—a descent of approximately 17,000 feet in less than a minute.
Manes said he heard “bloodcurdling screams” coming from the cockpit as the aircraft dropped toward the Saudi desert.
In the chaos, he jumped from his seat to find his six-year-old daughter, who was in the bathroom.
Once the alleged attacker had been restrained, passengers with flying experience stepped in to help control the aircraft, according to Manes.
The plane was diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, where all 180 passengers disembarked. Some reportedly emerged wearing bloodstained clothing.
FlyDubai sent a replacement aircraft to continue the journey, and the passengers eventually reached Tel Aviv safely later that night.
Israeli officials later indicated that the incident may have been an attempted terror attack, although the circumstances remained under investigation.
Machchhar survived the attack and was reported by the Indian Embassy in Riyadh to be in stable condition.
Netanyahu praised the injured pilot as a “true hero” who had shown “extraordinary bravery.”
