Flydubai co-pilot ‘assaulted’ captain before landing: Initial Saudi probe

What the report says

Saudi authorities say a preliminary probe into a Flydubai emergency landing found that the aircraft’s captain was assaulted by his co-pilot before the plane was diverted to Tabuk, in northwestern Saudi Arabia. The report, published by Al Jazeera on 1 October 2026, said the incident happened on Flydubai flight FZ1073, which was traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv with 174 passengers and eight crew members aboard.

According to Saudi Arabia’s Interior Ministry, the aircraft landed safely at Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Airport after the disturbance in the cockpit. The ministry said both pilots were taken to hospital for treatment and later medically cleared to travel. It added that the passengers continued their journey on another Flydubai aircraft later that day, while the rest of the crew returned to Dubai. Saudi investigators, working with a security team from the United Arab Emirates, said they had begun collecting evidence and examining the circumstances of the incident.

The article also said the UAE attorney general opened a separate investigation into the cockpit fight, including whether there was any link to terrorism or prior planning. Al Jazeera reported that the captain, Indian national Smit Machchhar, was seriously injured but remained in stable condition, and later continued treatment in Abu Dhabi. Indian officials and Prime Minister Narendra Modi publicly praised his actions in helping prevent a larger disaster. As background, such multi-agency investigations are common after serious in-flight security events, especially when questions remain about motive and intent.