‘A lot of blood’: Passengers describe frantic struggle on FlyDubai jet
A violent cockpit altercation forced a FlyDubai flight to make an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia after passengers intervened to stop an alleged hijacking. Chaos erupted mid-air when a crew member attacked the captain with a knife, prompting a group of Israeli travellers to rush to the front of the aircraft and subdue the attacker.
Footage from the cabin reveals the immediate aftermath. The captain bleeds heavily on the floor outside the cockpit as passengers tend to his wounds, while a second man lies tied up nearby.
תיעוד מהמטוס שנחת בסעודיה: "השתלטנו על המחבלים. כל מי ששומע אותי – אנחנו צריכים עזרה" https://t.co/qp31UziuJB @NoganNir https://t.co/Od4nR7c4Vq
— חדשות 13 (@newsisrael13) September 30, 2026
«We’re here during the hijacking of an airplane. At this point we’ve subdued the terrorists, we’re approaching landing,» a passenger with a bloodstained face says to the camera. «Whoever is hearing me, we need help.» He adds that the plane is descending towards an unfamiliar area in Tabuk. «On the plane, everybody is safe and sound, other than the pilot. We need help.»
Other videos show passengers celebrating as the aircraft finally touches down.
🚨🇮🇱🇦🇪🇸🇦 When the FlyDubai flight touched down safely in Saudi, the Israeli passengers began singing "Am Yisrael Chai" ("The People of Israel Live"). They say the purpose of terrorism is to instill fear. These passengers do NOT seem afraid… Writer: Michael https://t.co/aoZ0EBCy7Y
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) September 30, 2026
«We were attacked and were guarding the pilot,» one Israeli passenger tells someone filming. Another adds: «They tried to murder the pilot. We subdued [the attacker].» Pointing to the bound man on the floor, a voice states, «This is the man who… stabbed him.»
‘A lot of blood at the scene’
Witnesses described a terrifying plunge as the plane temporarily lost control. Meital told Channel 12 that her husband had helped neutralise the threat.
אחד הנוסעים על רגעי הדרמה: "יש פצוע קשה, המחבל קשור"; המוסד מנהל את האירוע בשיתוף שב"כ @Itsik_zuarets https://t.co/iyh64lgLfy
— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) September 30, 2026
«Someone shouted ‘stabbing’ and my husband immediately understood what was happening and rushed to the front of the plane,» she says. «There were stabbings and a lot of blood. We’re very emotional and under terrible stress, it’s very difficult for me to talk.»
Photos are circulating reportedly of a passenger who, along with other passengers, managed to subdue one of the pilots on board Flydubai flight FZ1073. An Israeli official said there was suspicion that one pilot may have tried to crash the aircraft before the other pilot, with help from Israeli passengers, managed to subdue him. Flight-tracking data from Flightradar24 showed the aircraft rapidly descending from about 34,000 feet to 14,000 feet, at one point displaying an instantaneous descent rate of about 30,976 feet per minute. Flydubai confirmed that Flight FZ1073 from Dubai International Airport to Ben Gurion Airport experienced an «inflight incident» and landed safely in Tabuk. «All passengers are safe and being looked after,» the airline said, adding that it was cooperating with the relevant authorities and would provide further updates as information was verified. https://t.co/sCM9UHRcxT
— Breaking Aviation News & Videos (@aviationbrk) September 30, 2026
Miriam, another passenger, relayed the horror to her mother Yasmin.
«Miriam said she heard shouting, and that a man pulled out a knife or pocketknife, pinned the pilot to the floor, and there was a lot of blood at the scene,» Yasmin told Reuters. «He took a knife and tried to kill the pilot.»
❗📹 ‘Two Other Pilots Took Control’: Passenger’s Mother Recounts Flydubai Mid-Air Scare "He took a knife and tried to kill the pilot," recounted a passenger’s mother, adding that her daughter heard screams and calls for help before the plane began to lose control. Israeli media confirmed that following initial assessments the incident is being investigated as a possible act of "terror".
— RT_India (@RT_India_news) September 30, 2026
During the dive, an unnamed passenger reported shouting at two shocked off-duty pilots seated in the cabin to «run and take control of the plane.» After the group dragged the attacker from the cockpit, one pilot managed to level the aircraft while an onboard Israeli dentist saved the critically wounded captain’s life.
Passenger Uri told Walla news the incident left him traumatised.
«From what I understand, the pilot tried to kill himself together with us,» Uri says. «Apparently it was an attack. Some of the passengers helped the other pilot take control of him until they landed the plane. People are still terrified, especially after the plane suddenly plunged.»
Families face agonising wait
The mid-air drop and subsequent disappearance from flight tracking systems caused intense anxiety for families waiting in Israel. N., whose 75-year-old mother was returning from Nepal, faced hours without communication due to mobile network restrictions.
«There were moments of tremendous anxiety. We couldn’t reach her,» she says. «Given the security situation Israel is in, a hijacking scenario initially sounded like a realistic nightmare scenario.» Despite the terror, she remains optimistic about their extraction. «We trust the security forces, and we trust the Saudis, and we hope to hear from her as soon as possible.»
Ofir Spiegel, who was waiting for his mother to return from a holiday in Thailand, says the passengers knew instantly that something was deeply wrong.
«The plane suddenly plunged, and all the passengers knew very well what had happened and understood that there was a problem with one of the pilots,» Spiegel says.
According to his mother, the combat veterans on board quickly took charge.
«All the passengers are fine, but there were moments of anxiety,» she says.
Israeli media outlets report the incident is currently under investigation as a possible act of terror.
