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Pilot stabbed by co-pilot diverts flydubai flight to Saudi Arabia

Indian captain Smit Machchhar opened cockpit door after attack, allowing passengers to subdue co-pilot.

AI-assisted coverage comparison, editor-supervised · How this was made

Published
Captain Smit Machchhar, Indian flydubai pilot. Photo: X

What this story says

  • Flydubai flight FZ1073 diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, on 30 September 2026, after a cockpit altercation.
  • Captain Smit Machchhar, an Indian pilot, was stabbed by his co-pilot but opened the cockpit door, allowing passengers to subdue the attacker.
  • The flight carried approximately 174 passengers, all of whom survived the incident.
  • US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly called Captain Machchhar a hero.

Who covered it

Left 25%(5)Centre 10%(2)Right 65%(13)

Percentages are shares of the 20 outlets carrying a published leaning rating. 25 of the 45 outlets we know ran this story carry no rating and are not counted in them. Coverage measured .

Trust

68/100

Craft

85/100

Hype

55/100

45 sources · methodology

Flydubai flight FZ1073, travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv, was diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, on 30 September 2026, following an altercation in the cockpit. Captain Smit Machchhar, an Indian national, was stabbed by his co-pilot. Despite his injuries, Captain Machchhar managed to open the cockpit door, which allowed passengers and crew to intervene and subdue the co-pilot. The aircraft landed safely in Saudi Arabia with approximately 174 passengers on board, all of whom survived the incident.

Disagreement on co-pilot's motive

Live Mint reported that US President Donald Trump stated the co-pilot "seemed as though the co-pilot was perhaps a terrorist or perhaps a whack job." He added that Netanyahu and others told him about how a passenger managed to take control of the plane after it began nosediving. According to Live Mint, Netanyahu said the evidence indicated that one pilot stabbed the other and then apparently attempted to crash the aircraft. However, The Siasat Daily stated that the circumstances surrounding the cockpit incident and the motive behind the attack remain under investigation.

Omissions in coverage

None of the right-rated digests mention the specific detail that Captain Machchhar is an Indian pilot based in Dubai, a fact reported by Live Mint. The right-rated digests also do not mention the specific figure of 9,750 total flying hours for Captain Machchhar, as reported by Live Mint.

Still developing. We have re-checked which outlets are covering this 1 time, most recently on 1 Oct 2026, 03:00, and will add the sides that appear.

How each side covered it

Our own reading of the reporting listed below, written from the outlets’ articles rather than quoted from them. The reasoning is set out on our methodology page.

Left

5 rated outlets

  • The left-rated reports focused on the actions of Captain Smit Machchhar and the passengers in averting disaster. The Siasat Daily highlighted that the Israeli Foreign Ministry said Machchhar fought back after being stabbed and managed to unlock the cockpit door, allowing passengers and crew to intervene. OnManorama and fakti.bg also reported that Machchhar was hailed as a hero for foiling a crash attempt and that he was in hospital in Tabuk. Indian Express and OnManorama mentioned Prime Minister Modi praising the pilot's valour and his role in foiling the co-pilot's bid to crash the flight. Spiegel noted that Netanyahu honoured the attacked pilot as a "true hero" and that several passengers spoke up about subduing the alleged attacker.

Centre

2 rated outlets

  • Centre-rated reports focused on the details of the incident and the praise for Captain Machchhar. Live Mint quoted US President Donald Trump calling the co-pilot "perhaps a terrorist or perhaps a whack job" and Captain Machchhar a hero for opening the cockpit door. The report also detailed how Netanyahu said evidence indicated an attempt to crash the aircraft and that passengers intervened. Hindustan Times described the stabbing, the drop, and the 'blood everywhere' in the cockpit, detailing how Captain Machchhar saved 174 lives.

Right

13 rated outlets

  • Right-rated reports led with praise for Captain Smit Machchhar from political leaders. The Hindu Business Line, Latestly, and Times of India reported that Prime Minister Modi hailed Machchhar as a hero for saving lives. CNBC-TV18 and India Today also highlighted Netanyahu calling Machchhar a "true hero" and Modi praising his "immense courage." Tribune India and Zoom News reported Trump's comments, describing the co-pilot as a "terrorist or whack job" and Machchhar as a hero. Yonhap News Agency reported that the pilot prevented an intentional crash. Pro Pakistani stated the co-pilot stabbed the Indian pilot to crash a flight full of Israeli citizens. Tribunnews.com reported that passengers stormed the cockpit to stop the attacker.

Questions about this coverage

How did the left and right cover Pilot stabbed by co-pilot diverts flydubai flight to Saudi Arabia?
Of the 20 outlets on this story carrying a published leaning rating, 25% are rated left, 10% are rated centre, 65% are rated right. Those percentages are shares of the rated outlets, not of every outlet that ran it, which was 45. The sections above set out what each side emphasised, in its own terms.
Is Pilot stabbed by co-pilot diverts flydubai flight to Saudi Arabia left or right?
Neither side dominates it. Of the 20 rated outlets on this story, 25% are rated left, 10% are rated centre, 65% are rated right, and no side holds the 70% this site would want before calling a field one-sided. A story is not left or right in any case; the outlets that carried it are what carry ratings.
Is the coverage of Pilot stabbed by co-pilot diverts flydubai flight to Saudi Arabia biased?
Pilot stabbed by co-pilot diverts flydubai flight to Saudi Arabia is one event reported by 45 outlets, and this page does not rate the story as biased or unbiased. What it publishes is the spread: which outlets ran it, where named rating organisations place each of them on the spectrum, and what each side chose to lead with. A leaning rating describes an outlet's record over time, not this article, and the two should not be run together.
Which outlets covered Pilot stabbed by co-pilot diverts flydubai flight to Saudi Arabia?
45 that we know of, every one of them listed further up this page with a link to its own report and to what we hold on the publisher. Nothing here is a summary of somebody else's summary: the outlets are named so the original reporting can be read.
What happened on flydubai flight FZ1073?
On 30 September 2026, flydubai flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv experienced a violent altercation in the cockpit. The co-pilot allegedly stabbed Captain Smit Machchhar, the Indian pilot. Machchhar managed to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers to subdue the attacker. The flight was diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, and landed safely.
Who is Captain Smit Machchhar?
Captain Smit Machchhar is an Indian pilot who was the captain of flydubai flight FZ1073. He has over 13 years of commercial aviation experience and approximately 9,750 flying hours. He is credited with averting a potential crash after being stabbed by his co-pilot.
How did passengers intervene?
After Captain Smit Machchhar was stabbed by his co-pilot and managed to open the cockpit door, passengers and crew members were able to enter the cockpit. They intervened and subdued the attacking co-pilot, helping to stabilize the aircraft and prevent it from crashing.
What was the reaction from world leaders?
US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly praised Captain Smit Machchhar, calling him a hero for his bravery in averting the disaster. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi also hailed Machchhar's courage and actions in saving the lives of those on board.

Read it at the source

45 outlets, grouped by the leaning a published rating gives them. Every headline links to the original; an underlined outlet name opens our profile of that publisher.

Left

5

Centre

2

Right

13
Show 5 more

Not rated

25
Show 17 more

How did this read?

About the coverage, not about the story. We do not ask whether you agree with what happened — we have no honest use for that answer.

Flydubai Flight Diverts | MediaBias News