Flydubai crew and passengers stop cockpit attack

Passengers and crew helped restrain a Flydubai copilot after he attacked the captain aboard Flight FZ1073 on September 30, allowing the aircraft to land safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, after a sharp loss of altitude. The United Arab Emirates has opened an investigation into the incident, including whether it involved terrorism, prior planning or direction by another person or organisation. The motive has not been established. The flight was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv with 174 passengers aboard when the cockpit confrontation occurred. The captain, Indian national Smit Machchhar, was seriously injured. Reports say he managed to release the cockpit door, enabling passengers and crew to enter and intervene. Two other Flydubai pilots who were travelling on the aircraft helped regain control. The copilot was taken into custody by Saudi authorities after the emergency landing. Accounts of the aircraft’s descent differ in their measurement and time window. Reuters-based reporting described a drop of nearly 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds, while an Associated Press account cited a fall from about 33,000 feet to roughly 17,000 feet in about a minute.