‘Whoever is hearing me, we need help’: how flight 1073 survived its 5,000-metre plunge

A routine Dubai-to-Tel Aviv service turned into a mid-air nightmare on Wednesday when the co-pilot of flydubai flight 1073 allegedly stabbed the captain, sending the Boeing 737 MAX 8 into a terrifying plunge of more than 17,000 feet. Two off-duty pilots who happened to be on board seized the controls while passengers and crew restrained the attacker, diverting the jet to Tabuk in northwestern Saudi Arabia, where all 174 passengers landed safely. Israeli officials say they are investigating the assault as a possible attempted terror attack.

How flight 1073 plunged 17,000 feet

At roughly 05:30 UTC, about two and a half hours after leaving Dubai, screams erupted near the front of the cabin. According to passenger accounts reported by Israeli media, the cockpit door was opened to reveal large amounts of blood — the co-pilot had allegedly stabbed the captain. Several passengers rushed forward, forced their way in and helped restrain the attacker, while a nurse and a doctor among the travellers gave first aid to the wounded.

In the chaos the aircraft lurched violently. Flight-tracking data examined by the BBC showed flight 1073 dropping more than 17,000 feet in less than two minutes, from a cruising altitude of about 34,000 feet. “We experienced a sudden shutdown, a loss of the plane’s electrical system, the multimedia system, everything,” one passenger told Israeli television. “Then there were screams: ‘Stabbings, stabbings, blood, blood.’”

A bloodied passenger pleaded for help in a video widely shared online: “Whoever is hearing me, we need help,” he said, adding that the attacker had been subdued. For several minutes, all contact with the aircraft was lost as it briefly entered Jordanian airspace before turning back toward Saudi Arabia.

Emergency signals and the diversion to Tabuk

At 05:31 UTC the jet transmitted the 7700 general-emergency squawk code; seven minutes later came the 7500 code signalling unlawful interference — the international alarm for a possible hijacking. As a precaution, Israeli fighter jets were scrambled while air traffic controllers watched the aircraft’s erratic track with alarm.

The pilots diverted to the nearest suitable airport, landing at Tabuk in northwestern Saudi Arabia at about 06:58 UTC. Saudi aviation operator Cluster2 confirmed that both the captain and the co-pilot were injured and taken to hospital. Footage from inside the aircraft showed passengers applauding and celebrating as the plane touched down safely.

Off-duty pilots landed the jet

According to passengers who spoke to the BBC, the heroes of the landing were two off-duty “relief” pilots — both European, one of them British — who had been travelling as passengers and were due to operate a subsequent flight. With the attacker restrained, they took their places in the cockpit and stabilised the 737 MAX for the emergency landing.

Cabin crew had entered the cockpit during the struggle and, together with passengers, prevented a far worse outcome. Israeli officials later said “a very serious disaster was averted.”

Investigation: was it an attempted terror attack?

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday afternoon: “During the flight, as they approached our country, one of the pilots stabbed the other pilot and apparently tried to crash the plane with everyone on board.” He said passengers and a crew member broke into the cockpit as the plane plunged and restrained the co-pilot.

According to Reuters, three Israeli officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the incident was being assessed as an attempted “terror attack” and not a mental-health episode. Israeli media reported the alleged attacker was of Omani descent and had worked at flydubai for less than a year; Saudi authorities arrested him. A spokesperson for the prime minister’s office cautioned, however, that it was not believed to be a hijacking, calling it “a different incident” — and flydubai has so far described what happened only as an “incident.”

Watan News is following the investigation — read our main coverage of flight 1073’s emergency landing in Tabuk.

Conclusion

The survival of flight 1073 came down to minutes — and to the passengers, crew and two off-duty pilots who refused to let the aircraft fall. With 174 people aboard, including 27 children, the outcome could easily have been catastrophic. Whether the co-pilot’s alleged attack was terrorism, a suicide attempt or something else remains for investigators in Israel and Saudi Arabia to determine. What is already clear is that the aviation industry will be asking hard questions about cockpit security for a long time to come.

What happened on flydubai flight 1073?

About two and a half hours after departing Dubai for Tel Aviv on September 30, 2026, the co-pilot allegedly stabbed the captain in the cockpit. The Boeing 737 MAX 8 plunged more than 17,000 feet before the crew — aided by two off-duty pilots on board — regained control and diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.

How many passengers were on board flight 1073?

174 passengers, including 27 children — most of them Israeli citizens. All passengers landed safely and were later flown on to Tel Aviv on a separate flight.

Who landed the plane?

Two off-duty “relief” pilots who were travelling as passengers took the controls after passengers and cabin crew restrained the attacker. The plane landed safely at Tabuk Airport in northwestern Saudi Arabia.

Was the flight 1073 incident a terror attack?

Three Israeli officials told Reuters the incident is being assessed as an attempted “terror attack”. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the co-pilot “apparently tried to crash the plane with everyone on board”. The investigation is ongoing and no final determination has been made.

Where is the suspected attacker now?

Saudi authorities arrested the co-pilot after the emergency landing at Tabuk. Both pilots were hospitalised with injuries.