Accident: Flydubai B38M near Tabuk on Sep 30th 2026, fight in the cockpit, first officer under investigation for suspected suicide attempt

| Last Update: Wednesday, Sep 30th 2026 10:25Z33064 Articles availableEvents from Mar 23rd 1994 to Sep 30th 2026 List by: Filter: The Aviation Herald and Simon Hradecky had been sued by Go2Sky, as part of the settlement a revocation notice had been up here in the past weeks. See the Explanation of this lawsuit. Accident: Flydubai B38M near Tabuk on Sep 30th 2026, fight in the cockpit, first officer under investigation for suspected suicide attemptBy Simon Hradecky, created Wednesday, Sep 30th 2026 08:49Z, last updated Wednesday, Sep 30th 2026 10:25ZA FlyDubai Boeing 737-8 MAX, registration A6-FKF performing flight FZ-1073 from Dubai (United Arab Emirates) to Tel Aviv (Israel) with 174 passengers and 6 crew, was enroute at FL340 about 130nm northeast of Tabuk (Saudi Arabia) when the aircraft descended from FL340 to about 19000 feet within about 90 seconds reportedly due to a fight in the cockpit. The transponder code for unlawful interference was transmitted prompting the dispatch of Israeli fighter jets to the aircraft. The aircraft subsequently levelled off at about 15000 feet, changed the transponder code to general emergency and diverted to Tabuk for a landing without further incident about 85 minutes after leaving FL340. The captain received serious injuries from multiple stab wounds, the first officer was subdued.Passenger photos show two persons in the aisle and in passenger seats with blood on their shirts.Passengers report a physical fight broke out in the cockpit, someone attempted to stab a pilot with a pocket knife, they saw a lot of blood. The plane was out of control for some time, passengers helped to bring the situation under control. A number of cabin crew and passengers managed to get through the cockpit door and restrain the attacker, who was pinned against the floor. Control of the aircraft was regained thereafter.Local Authorities are investigating whether one of the pilots stabbed the other one and are also looking into the possibility that one of the pilots attempted suicide by crashing the aircraft.Israeli Authorities have opened an investigation against the first officer amid growing indications that he tried to take over the aircraft in order to crash it.An Israeli official reported that two other pilots in civil clothes travelling as passengers intervened successfully, these are also the ones shown on the passenger pictures with blood on their shirts. One of the pilots were citizens of South Africa, the other of New Zealand.Israel's Air Defense Forces report the captain is citizen of the United Arab Emirates, the first officer Omani citizen. The Omani citizen is believed to have attempted to crash the aircraft.The airline reported the aircraft carrying 174 passengers including 27 children experienced an incident enroute. Another aircraft is being sent from Dubai to Tabuk to pick the passengers up. The airline later confirmed the emergency was triggered by a fight between the pilots. The airline is investigating the incident and has also informed Israeli Authorities. Reader Comments: (the comments posted below do not reflect the view of The Aviation Herald but represent the view of the various posters)By AVh reader on Wednesday, Sep 30th 2026 10:25Zthis was not a suicide. this was a political discussion in the flight deck! And hope Israel authorities don't take a side on this matter. @Sam and By Joao on Wednesday, Sep 30th 2026 10:25ZAgain, pedantism. At the time of the 2015 accident, both airliners were undergoing a merging process. But you can be pedantic all you want, doesn't erase the so in the end the israelis are the heroes. With how the israeli election polls are going, it wouldn't surprise me this is a Netanyahu's false flag operation to increase his popularity among its citizens. By Pilot on Wednesday, Sep 30th 2026 10:13ZSo there were only israelis passengers aairplane.board?Yes only israelis. And they saved the day. In an hour or two you will see the videos from the airplane By Sam on Wednesday, Sep 30th 2026 10:12Z@JoaoEurowings existed long before Germanwings and were running parallel to each other with different AOC�s. Get your facts straight you dimwit! By Other Media on Wednesday, Sep 30th 2026 10:11ZThis is so common in the middle east and airlines like Air Arabia where the instructors/examiners have bigger egos and always putting down everyone just because inside they cannot go anywhere and are stuck ! I thought Flydubai had better culture ! @xxzoexx By Joao on Wednesday, Sep 30th 2026 10:00ZGermanwings, Eurowings...potato, potato. Nowadays the company is known by Eurowings, I don't think it's such a big mistake. Pedantism.As for the nationalities, people should refrain from comment. Now it's being said "the israeli passengers" saved the plan. So there were only israelis passengers aboard? mental healthBy xxzoexx on Wednesday, Sep 30th 2026 09:55Zas to mental health checks - if you'd read up on the Germanwings Crash you would know that it happened, because the Pilot got off his medication and hid his mental state because he was scared they would not let him fly. Right now mental health problems are often still not save to share in this job. That is a problem. Not more checks are needed, more help possibilities without punitive actions are. Also we don't even know what caused this incident. Might not have been mental state in itself but a political reason or who knows. Maybe we hold back with the self righteous comments. pilotBy simple on Wednesday, Sep 30th 2026 09:53Zpilot under investigation said to be omani. By knob13 on Wednesday, Sep 30th 2026 09:49ZIts time the KI takes over some cockpits....Air India, Vietnam Airlines, today this one...the biggest problems are between human ears.... just a small point butBy xxzoexx on Wednesday, Sep 30th 2026 09:47Z@Joao ist was Germanwings, not Eurowings. Different AOC. Please have your facts straight when talking about such things. Israeli Media By Harry on Wednesday, Sep 30th 2026 09:46ZIn the Israeli media is mentioned that the pilot who tired to hijack or crash the aircraft is from Oman, in the passenger cabin were another two pilots. They together with the Israeli passengers did fight him and overpowered him Mental checks and nationalityBy Marek on Wednesday, Sep 30th 2026 09:41ZI hope comments towards nationality and religion are delited, they are highly inapropriate. Fly Dubai had crew from all over the world.Ppl asking for mental checks, they are done once a year, with more emphesize after Eurowings.But they are hard to detect. Psycoses can happen on short notis. Pilots nationality By DE on Wednesday, Sep 30th 2026 09:19ZI'd like to urge everyone to refrain from making assumptions about the crew's nationalities until official information is available.I've seen at least two conflicting reports about it in the media now.This sort of early misinformation could have significant consequences on our colleagues, who would be judged not on their skills and experience, but on the passport they carry. It is a real shame. Profiling By Pitts Special on Wednesday, Sep 30th 2026 09:16ZThanks god for the great reaction of the second Pilot and safe landing Afterwards.At least a deep profiling of the culprit can be of great value for future mental health test for pilots!!! Other MediaBy RB on Wednesday, Sep 30th 2026 09:11ZOther media reported that there was a fight between the russian pilot and the ukrainian co in the cockpit. \> They reportedly fought in the cockpit until one of them lost consciousness.(not sure if this news can yet be trusted or not) Muslim captain?By John on Wednesday, Sep 30th 2026 09:11ZMuslim? MediaBy Smartengine on Wednesday, Sep 30th 2026 09:01ZAccording to the media, the pilot wanted to crash and the FO managed to stop him. Let's see when we get more info. Eurowings 2.0By Joao on Wednesday, Sep 30th 2026 08:57ZAnother Eurowings situation nearly avoided...Serious mental checks are needed. ScaryBy Jorge on Wednesday, Sep 30th 2026 08:54ZInsanely scary incident. Maybe pilots should go through regular checks for high-risk routes?What a scary experience for the passenger, shortly after the 9/11 anniversary. Add your comment: (max 1024 characters) Your IP address 123.20.157.97 is being tracked. 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