By Shishir Prashant 
PrashantNews
In what appeared to be a suspected terror attack, a pilot of Flydubai flight carrying mainly Israeli passengers from Dubai to Tel Aviv allegedly tried to crash the aircraft after stabbing the other pilot, with passengers and crew members intervening to prevent a possible major disaster.
The Flight-tracking data showed the Boeing 737 MAX experiencing a dramatic loss of altitude with some Israeli media reports claiming that the aircraft abruptly came 14,000 feet down in less than 30 seconds when the stabbing occurred.
Other flight-tracking accounts showed the aircraft falling from around 33,000-34,000 feet to approximately 17,000-19,000 feet before eventually diverting to Tabuk in Saudi Arabia safely.
The flight FZ1073 carrying 174 passengers including 27 children landed safely in Tabuk and all passengers were reportedly safe.
According to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the incident occurred as the aircraft was approaching Israel. He said one pilot attacked the other and apparently attempted to take control of the aircraft, causing it to enter a steep descent.
Media reports said brave Captain Smit Machchhar, an Indian pilot, reportedly fought off his Omani co-pilot after the latter allegedly stabbed him during an apparent attempt to crash the Flydubai flight. Despite suffering injuries, Captain Machchhar is reported to have acted quickly to protect the passengers and prevent a potential tragedy.
“Netanyahu said in a statement that one passenger told him that the aircraft entered into a diving mode and began losing altitude, after which he and a crew member managed to enter the cockpit and intervene.
Netanyahu praised the passengers and crew members who, according to his account, helped restrain the pilot and regain control of the aircraft.
“They saved many lives. They prevented a serious disaster,” Netanyahu said.
The episode triggered alarm after the aircraft transmitted emergency signals, including a code associated with unlawful interference. Israel scrambled fighter aircraft amid fears that the plane could have been hijacked.
The sudden plunge caused panic among passengers. Israeli media reports, citing passengers, said people heard shouting from the cockpit and felt the aircraft dip sharply during the confrontation. Reports also said blood was seen inside the aircraft following the struggle in the cockpit.
Israeli officials identified the suspected attacker as an Omani national. The pilot was arrested after the aircraft landed in Saudi Arabia and was being questioned by Saudi authorities, according to Netanyahu.
The exact sequence of events and the motive remain under investigation. Israeli officials have raised the possibility that the incident was a deliberate attempt to crash the aircraft, while the airline has so far described the event only as an “incident” and said it was working with the relevant authorities.
Flydubai said the safety and wellbeing of passengers and crew remained its highest priority. The aircraft, carrying more than 170 people according to reports, landed safely at Tabuk Airport, where Saudi authorities took charge of the investigation.
Netanyahu said Israel was maintaining close contact with the Saudi authorities to ensure the passengers’ safe return to Israel and had ordered the country’s security services to remain alert to any additional potential threats.
The dramatic incident comes amid heightened security concerns in the region and has raised fresh questions about cockpit security and procedures for dealing with an in-flight attack by a member of the flight crew.