Flydubai Flight Diverts After Captain Is Stabbed

A Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia after the captain was stabbed by his copilot during a midair cockpit confrontation, according to reports. Passengers and crew intervened to subdue the copilot, while the injured captain, Smit Machchhar, was hospitalized in Tabuk and reported by Indian officials to be in stable condition. Accounts say Machchhar opened or released the cockpit door after being wounded, allowing people from the cabin to enter the flight deck. Passenger Yaniv Hayun said he helped restrain the copilot and briefly pulled the aircraft’s controls before a qualified pilot among the passengers took over. Other passengers and crew also helped subdue the attacker. The precise sequence of events and who controlled the aircraft at each stage have not been established in the supplied accounts. The motive for the attack remains unknown. Flydubai said the incident’s circumstances and motive were under investigation. Although officials and public figures described the copilot as having attempted to crash the aircraft, the investigation had not established that intention.