Dubai Airlines flight FZ1073 was in danger. Passengers worked together to subdue the co-pilot and regain control.

On September 30, Dubai Airlines flight FZ1073 encountered a sudden danger in the air. The passenger plane plummeted nearly 4,300 meters in just 30 seconds. At the critical moment, the passengers and other crew members on the plane worked together to subdue the co-pilot who stabbed the captain and regained control of the plane. The plane eventually made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia. What thrilling moments did this flight experience?

At 7:05 a.m. on September 30, Dubai time, flydubai flight FZ1073 took off from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and was originally scheduled to land at Ben-Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv, Israel, around 9:30 a.m. However, when the plane flew over northwest Saudi Arabia, it suddenly began to fluctuate violently; in less than 30 seconds, the flight altitude plummeted by nearly 4,300 meters.

Captain Smit Machicher of Dubai Airlines Attack: I was looking straight ahead at the time of the incident and did not look back. Suddenly, I think about four or five minutes later, I got hit hard on the back of my head. My first reaction was that the plane had a serious malfunction and the situation was not good. Immediately afterwards, the call came again, one after another. Only then did I realize that it was not the plane that was at fault, but the man in the cockpit with me.

At 8:31, the plane issued emergency code 7700, indicating that the flight was in an emergency state. Soon after, the transponder code switched to 7500 - a code used in the aviation field to indicate that illegal interference has occurred on board the aircraft. In other words, the passenger plane may be hijacked or the cockpit may be controlled.

Dubai Air Attack Captain Smit Machicher: I realized that I had to fight to the death, whether it was for myself or for others. Anyway, I knew that if I didn't do this, I would be dead. So with all my strength, I rushed to the cockpit door and opened it.

It was this action of the attacked captain that gave the cabin passengers a valuable opportunity to detect danger and provide timely rescue.

Tully, a passenger on the flight involved: After the cockpit door opened, I saw the scene of the attack. I realized what was happening and I just kept screaming: "Someone murdered the pilot" "Come help, come help".

Passengers who helped subdue the attacker Yaniv: A woman shouted, "Someone is hurting someone with a knife," and we knew there was an attack, and then the plane shook violently. At that moment I rushed to the cockpit and the plane was falling. All of us rushed over and pulled the attacker out. It was me who pulled him out. After dragging him out, we took control of the aircraft. I pulled up the control column and leveled the plane slightly. I saw that there was no pilot in front of either of the two joysticks, and I had seen the show "Airborne" before, and I knew right then and there that I had to pull the joystick.

Another group of pilots on board took over the plane and landed it safely at Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia at 9:58 a.m. local time in Saudi Arabia.

Passenger on the plane: The scene of the incident was extremely terrifying. At that moment, you will feel that everything is over and you will not survive.

Dubai Airlines then arranged an alternative flight to Tabuk Airport and transported the passengers on board to their final destination, Tel Aviv, Israel, at 18:40 local time.