Passengers and Crew Stop Alleged Attempt to Crash Israel-Bound FlyDubai Jet After Co-Pilot Stabs Captain

A FlyDubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday after its co-pilot allegedly stabbed the captain and tried to crash the plane, according to CBS News, ABC News and AP.

About 174 people were on board, CBS News reported. No passengers were seriously hurt.

## What happened in the cockpit

The co-pilot allegedly attacked the captain, Smit Machchhar of India, with a pocketknife, according to ABC News. Despite his wounds, the captain managed to unlock the cockpit door, and passengers and crew members forced their way in.

The plane dropped from about 34,000 feet to 16,000 feet in roughly three minutes, ABC News reported. Two off-duty pilots on board helped regain control of the aircraft while passengers overpowered the co-pilot, according to CBS News.

The jet landed in Tabuk, in northwestern Saudi Arabia. The captain was treated at a Saudi hospital and was reported in stable condition. CBS News reported that two crew members were also hospitalized.

One passenger told ABC News that people on board believed "we were... going to crash."

## The investigation

Israeli officials have called the incident a terror attack. Defense Minister Israel Katz said "the terrorist had a single objective: to crash the plane, killing everyone on board." Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said investigators found material suggesting the co-pilot had undergone "Islamist radical indoctrination," according to CBS News.

The co-pilot has not been publicly named. An Omani official confirmed he is an Omani citizen, and he is in Saudi custody and expected to be transferred to the United Arab Emirates for questioning, CBS News reported. Investigators are also examining whether he acted alone.

President Trump said on Thursday that the co-pilot may be linked to Iran "based on what I'm hearing," but said officials were still working on it. No link has been confirmed.

## What happens next

Questions are now turning to how the co-pilot was cleared to fly and what screening airlines use for flight crews. Investigators in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Israel are expected to release more details in the coming days.