‘Prayed Excessively, Refused To Shake Hands With Women’: Fellow Pilot Terms Flydubai’s Omani Attacker A ‘Religious Extremist’

Last Updated:October 01, 2026, 12:48 IST

“He prayed excessively throughout the day and refused to shake hands with women,” the pilot tells the network.

Flydubai Cockpit Attack

The Omani pilot who allegedly tried to crash a flydubai plane bound for Israel on Wednesday is described as a religious extremist by a fellow pilot, the Times of Israel reported.

The pilot tells Israel’s Channel 16 news that the Omani national joined flydubai just eight months ago. “He prayed excessively throughout the day and refused to shake hands with women,” the pilot tells the network.

The aircraft, flight FZ1073, was carrying 174 passengers, including 27 children. Flight-tracking data showed the plane had been flying at about 34,000 feet before losing more than 17,000 feet in less than two minutes.

The incident is being probed as a possible attempted terrorist attack, while the alleged attacker, an Omani national, has been taken into custody by Saudi authorities.

Reportedly, questions are also being raised over how the Omani national was cleared to operate a flight to Israel, given that Oman does not have diplomatic relations with Israel.

From Cockpit Attack To Emergency Landing

The incident unfolded as the aircraft was flying towards Israel. Accounts cited by the Times of Israel said the attacker stabbed Captain Smit Machchhar and then tried to block access to the cockpit while interfering with the aircraft’s controls.

The plane subsequently went into a sharp descent. According to the Daily Mail, it lost around 14,000ft in just 29 seconds, while the Times of Israel, citing eyewitness accounts, reported a drop of approximately 17,000ft over two minutes.

Passenger Yaniv Hayoun recalled hearing screams before the aircraft suddenly plunged. He and other passengers then forced their way into the cockpit, where Hayoun said he saw the attacker apparently trying to damage the controls. He grabbed the man and pulled him away from the controls.

Other passengers and crew members joined the effort to restrain the attacker. Hayoun said he then took hold of the controls and pulled them in the direction he had seen on television. The crew later took control of the aircraft.

Despite sustaining serious injuries, Captain Machchhar managed to open the cockpit door and resist the attacker, allowing passengers and crew to overpower him. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu credited the Indian captain with saving all 174 people onboard.

The aircraft later made an emergency landing at Tabuk airport in Saudi Arabia. The Indian Embassy in Saudi Arabia said Machchhar was hospitalised in stable condition, while the alleged attacker was taken into Saudi custody.

Quick Answers

Powered by

Ask News18

What led a fellow pilot to describe the flydubai attacker as a religious extremist?

A fellow pilot reported that the Omani national, who joined the airline eight months ago, prayed excessively throughout the day and refused to shake hands with women.

How did passengers intervene during the cockpit attack on the flydubai flight?

Passenger Yaniv Hayoun and others forced their way into the cockpit after hearing screams, grabbed the attacker away from the controls, and were joined by crew members to restrain him. Hayoun briefly took hold of the controls while Captain Machchhar also resisted the attacker despite serious injuries.

Where did the flydubai flight land after the attempted cockpit attack?

The aircraft made an emergency landing at Tabuk airport in Saudi Arabia, where the injured Indian captain was hospitalized in stable condition and the alleged attacker was taken into custody by Saudi authorities.

Powered by

Ask News18

About the Author

Aanchal SinhaSub Editor

Aanchal is the Sub-Editor at News18.com, with more than four years of experience in national and international news. My work involves covering breaking news, politics, current affairs and developments…Read More

Read More