Liz Claman reports on a flight to Israel from Dubai that made an emergency landing after a co-pilot stabbed the pilot in mid-air. The passengers overpowered the attacker and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called it an attempted terrorist attack.
President Donald Trump praised Boeing and its 737 MAX after a FlyDubai plane survived a spectacular fall during an apparent attempt to crash the Israel-bound plane with more than 170 people on board.
Trump praised the U.S. aerospace giant on Thursday, highlighting the plane’s ability to withstand the extreme forces it encountered during the mid-flight emergency.
“Congratulations to the GREAT Boeing Company for producing an airplane, the 737 Max, capable of withstanding G-forces and stresses far beyond what it was designed and expected to handle,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“This was an astonishing spectacle of precise and powerful structural planning and design. It is time that the Boeing Company, which builds, by far, the best commercial airliners in the sky, be recognized for the incredible ‘genius’ of this aircraft! To Kelly Ortberg, and all of her executives and associates at Boeing, congratulations on a job well done!!!”
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President Donald Trump attends the signing of a security pact between the United States, Denmark and Greenland during the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly at UN Headquarters, September 22, 2026, in New York. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images/Getty Images)
Trump’s praise came after FlyDubai flight FZ1073, a Boeing 737 MAX 8 traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv, plunged nearly 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds on Wednesday as a violent attack unfolded in the cockpit.
Passengers leave the domestic arrivals terminal after landing on a FlyDubai repatriation flight at Ben Gurion Airport in Israel on September 30, 2026. The flight, connecting Dubai to Tel Aviv, was diverted to Saudi Arabia following a violent altercation. (Gil Cohen-Magen/photo alliance via Getty Images / Getty Images)
Israeli officials said the co-pilot attacked the captain in an apparent attempt to crash the plane. The injured captain managed to unlock the cockpit door, allowing passengers to subdue the attacker before reserve crew members aboard the plane took control and landed the plane safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. Passengers were praised for intervening as the plane rapidly lost altitude.
| Teleprinter | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B.A. | BOEING Co. | 187.44 | +1.35 | +0.73% |
All passengers were safe after the emergency landing. Both pilots were hospitalized after being injured, according to Tabuk airport officials.
A replacement FlyDubai plane lands at Ben Gurion Airport. The flight, linking Dubai to Tel Aviv, was diverted to Saudi Arabia following a violent altercation in the cockpit. (Gil Cohen-Magen/photo alliance via Getty Images / Getty Images)
FlyDubai said the underlying reasons for the incident remained unknown and warned against “premature speculation”. The UAE launched an investigation on Thursday to determine the circumstances and motives, including whether the incident was linked to terrorist activity or involved prior planning or direction.
Netanyahu and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised the flight’s captain, Indian national Smit Machchhar, for his actions during the emergency.
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Netanyahu told Fox News that Machchhar had apparently been stabbed or hit with an ax by the other pilot and bled profusely.
Reuters contributed to this report.
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