Flydubai co-pilot attacks captain on Dubai to Tel Aviv flight

World Oct 02, 2026

A Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv had a real scare when the co-pilot attacked the captain mid-flight, trying to crash the plane.

In the middle of this chaos, six-year-old Nina Manes and her mother Tali quickly warned other passengers, helping everyone react in time.

Smit Machchhar and passengers subdue co-pilot

Thanks to Nina and Tali's alertness, passengers, including Nina's father, rushed to help.

Even while injured, Captain Smit Machchhar managed to open the cockpit door, and together they stopped the co-pilot.

An off-duty pilot then helped land the plane safely in Saudi Arabia.

Leaders from India and Israel praised everyone involved for their courage and teamwork.