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Middle East   A passenger on Flydubai flight 1073 has described the actions of on-duty crew members who rushed into the cockpit to stabilise and land the plane after the co-pilot attacked the captain with a crash axe. The flight carrying 182 people en route to Israel was able to make an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia after a descent so extreme that part of its rudder was torn away.   Issued on: 04/10/2026 - 11:36   (Reading time) (/build/images/svg/sprite.68b43361c11f23b39049016b32e6ae31.svg#icon-clock)    3 min Reading time   Share (/build/images/svg/sprite.68b43361c11f23b39049016b32e6ae31.svg#icon-share)      By:  (https://www.france24.com/en/author/france-24/) (FRANCE 24) FRANCE 24       (Passengers embark on a FlyDubai aircraft at Ben Gurion International Airport, near Tel Aviv, Israel, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026.)  Passengers embark on a FlyDubai aircraft at Ben Gurion International Airport, near Tel Aviv, on September 30, 2026.        © Ariel Schalit, AP    Who are the mystery pilots who stepped in to stabilise the (https://www.france24.com/en/tag/flydubai-flight-1073/) Flydubai flight 1073 as it hurtled toward disaster? As of Saturday, three days after the uniformed crew members (https://www.france24.com/en/middle-east/20261001-live-flydubai-suspends-flights-to-and-from-israel-after-pilot-attack) rushed to the cockpit to steady the Israel-bound plane carrying 182 people after a sickening plummet, they still haven't been publicly identified. Flydubai has called them only on-duty crew members traveling on the plane. It’s not clear why the airline hasn't said more. One passenger at the front of the plane, though, described the men’s actions in an interview with The Associated Press, giving one of the most detailed accounts of the yet-unsung heroes. Read more (https://www.france24.com/en/middle-east/20261002-flydubai-hero-pilot-tells-modi-i-could-not-let-all-those-people-die) Flydubai hero pilot tells Modi 'I could not let all those people die'  “This is one of the miracles,” said Daniel Schlichter, who was seated in the second row. “That not in every flight they bring two extra pilots. In this case, they brought them because they should have brought the plane back from Tel Aviv to (https://www.france24.com/en/tag/dubai/) Dubai , and this is the only reason they were there.” The practice is called deadheading. The two men responded after screaming passengers discovered what was unfolding in the cockpit. They said the (https://www.france24.com/en/middle-east/20261001-flydubai-cockpit-incident-turns-focus-to-crew-related-hijackings) co-pilot was attacking the captain over and over, and blood was everywhere. The captain, while badly wounded, (https://www.france24.com/en/middle-east/20261002-flydubai-hero-pilot-tells-modi-i-could-not-let-all-those-people-die) managed to unlock the cockpit door . After a passenger grabbed the (https://www.france24.com/en/middle-east/20261003-co-pilot-on-flydubai-flight-was-banned-from-flying-by-oman-for-holding-extremist-views) co-pilot and pulled him out, and others grappled with the man to subdue him, Schlichter said that one of the traveling pilots practically hurdled the scrum to enter the cockpit and seize the controls. Read more (https://www.france24.com/en/middle-east/20261003-co-pilot-on-flydubai-flight-was-banned-from-flying-by-oman-for-holding-extremist-views) UAE investigators say Omani Flydubai co-pilot was planning 'terrorist' attack  “He was actually kind of jumping above the guys that were handling the terrorist, and he reached out to the pilot area and started to take over,” Schlichter said. “And then the other guy, the other pilot, joined in and they closed the door because they didn’t want anybody else to be there.” Schlichter, like others, wasn’t sure where the two men had come from. But whoever the first one was, he moved very quickly. “He acted really like a hero, taking over the plane and reacted like he understood exactly what is going on, and I think we owe him our lives not less than the other heroes that went on the flight,” Schlichter said. Once the two entered the cockpit and closed the door, Schlichter wasn’t sure who did what inside. It took “quite a lot of minutes”, maybe 10 or more, to stabilise the plane after a descent so extreme that part of its rudder was torn away. A mayday call was made as the men frantically sought a place to land. AI deepfake of BBC report falsely links Indians to FlyDubai hijacking attempt To display this content from YouTube, you must enable advertisement tracking and audience measurement. Accept (/build/images/svg/sprite.68b43361c11f23b39049016b32e6ae31.svg#icon-check)    Manage my choices (/build/images/svg/sprite.68b43361c11f23b39049016b32e6ae31.svg#icon-edit)      One of your browser extensions seems to be blocking the video player from loading. To watch this content, you may need to disable it on this site. Try again   (Truth or Fake)  Cover image:            Truth or Fake        © France 24  (/build/images/svg/sprite.68b43361c11f23b39049016b32e6ae31.svg#icon-play)        04:56   (AI deepfake of BBC report falsely links Indians to FlyDubai hijacking attempt)     Meanwhile, some of the frightened and wary passengers wondered about them and whether they could be trusted. “After they managed to stabilise the airplane, actually they did not have any communication with us, and I have to tell you, I was worried about this,” Schlichter said. He worried about an even worse situation – that the men might be “hijacking the plane into maybe (https://www.france24.com/en/tag/iran/) Iran , or I don’t know where, because we’re actually not too far”. But after about 45 minutes, he said, the pilots announced that they would be landing in Tabuk, (https://www.france24.com/en/tag/saudi-arabia/) Saudi Arabia , and everything was going to be OK. With that, Schlichter said, he decided to trust them. And it turned out to be true. (FRANCE 24 with AP)     Read next   (https://www.france24.com/en/middle-east/20261003-co-pilot-on-flydubai-flight-was-banned-from-flying-by-oman-for-holding-extremist-views) (Travelers board a FlyDubai aircraft at Ben Gurion International Airport after a separate flight was diverted to Saudi Arabia following an emergency signal, in Israel on September 30, 2026.)   (https://www.france24.com/en/middle-east/20261003-co-pilot-on-flydubai-flight-was-banned-from-flying-by-oman-for-holding-extremist-views) (UAE investigators say Omani Flydubai co-pilot was planning 'terrorist' attack) UAE investigators say Omani Flydubai co-pilot was planning 'terrorist' attack    Middle East    (https://www.france24.com/en/middle-east/20261002-flydubai-hero-pilot-tells-modi-i-could-not-let-all-those-people-die) (This screengrab from Narendra Modi YouTube Channel shows Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaking with Flydubai pilot Captain Smit Machchhar on October 2, 2026.)   (https://www.france24.com/en/middle-east/20261002-flydubai-hero-pilot-tells-modi-i-could-not-let-all-those-people-die) (Flydubai hero pilot tells Modi 'I could not let all those people die') Flydubai hero pilot tells Modi 'I could not let all those people die'    Middle East          Today's top stories   (https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20261004-live-germany-s-merz-in-kyiv-for-talks-with-zelensky) (Live: New Russian strikes hit Kyiv bridge as Germany's Merz visits) Live: New Russian strikes hit Kyiv bridge as Germany's Merz visits  Live  Europe     (https://www.france24.com/en/americas/20261004-ossoff-and-el-sayed-two-senate-races-and-what-they-say-about-the-democratic-party) (Ossoff and El-Sayed: Two Senate races and what they say about the Democratic Party) Ossoff and El-Sayed: Two Senate races and what they say about the Democratic Party   Americas     (https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20261004-polls-open-in-bosnia-and-herzegovina-as-pro-russian-politician-looms-large-over-race) (Bosnians vote as pro-Russian politician looms large over election and ethnic tensions simmer) Bosnians vote as pro-Russian politician looms large over election and ethnic tensions simmer   Europe   (/build/images/svg/sprite.68b43361c11f23b39049016b32e6ae31.svg#icon-play)      (https://www.france24.com/en/americas/20261003-lula-and-bolsonaro-make-final-push-for-votes-ahead-of-brazil-s-knife-edge-election) (Lula and Bolsonaro make final push for votes ahead of Brazil's knife-edge election) Lula and Bolsonaro make final push for votes ahead of Brazil's knife-edge election   Americas   (/build/images/svg/sprite.68b43361c11f23b39049016b32e6ae31.svg#icon-play)      (https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20261003-italy-ustica-enigma-can-french-files-solve-mystery-crash-blamed-on-stray-missile-gaddafi) (Italy’s Ustica enigma: Can French files solve mystery crash blamed on stray missile?) Italy’s Ustica enigma: Can French files solve mystery crash blamed on stray missile?   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