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

Captain Smit Machchhar, Indian flydubai pilot. Photo: X
Photograph: The Siasat Daily (embedded from source)
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
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- PM Modi praises Indian pilot who foiled co-pilot’s bid to crash flydubai flight (opens Indian Express in a new tab)
Indian Express — is Indian Express biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Violence in Flydubai Machine: Netanyahu Honors Attacked Pilots as "True Heroes" (opens Spiegel in a new tab)
- ‘Saved 174 people’: Netanyahu, Trump hail Mumbai pilot who foiled Flydubai crash attempt (opens OnManorama in a new tab)
OnManorama — is OnManorama biased? Our profile of this outlet
- The Injured Flydubai Pilot Is in Hospital in Tabuk (opens fakti.bg in a new tab)
- Indian flydubai pilot stable after Saudi flight incident (opens The Siasat Daily in a new tab)
The Siasat Daily — is The Siasat Daily biased? Our profile of this outlet
Centre
2- Cockpit stabbing, a 14,000 feet drop, 'blood everywhere': How Indian pilot Smit Machchhar saved 174 lives on flydubai plane (opens Hindustan Times in a new tab)
Hindustan Times — is Hindustan Times biased? Our profile of this outlet
- ‘Perhaps a terrorist or a whack-job’: Trump on flydubai attack, hails Indian Capt Smit Machchhar as hero (opens Live Mint in a new tab)
Right
13- PM Modi hails pilot Smit Machchhar as 'hero' for saving flydubai flight from crash (opens The Hindu Business Line in a new tab)
The Hindu Business Line — is The Hindu Business Line biased? Our profile of this outlet
- flydubai pilot Smit Machchhar stable, Israeli PM Netanyahu says 'He is a true hero' (opens CNBC-TV18 in a new tab)
- Pilot Who Prevented Intentional Crash of Passenger Plane to Israel Is an Indian Veteran Captain (Roundup) (opens 연합뉴스-Yonhap News Agency in a new tab)
연합뉴스-Yonhap News Agency — is 연합뉴스-Yonhap News Agency biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Terrorist or whack job”: Trump on flydubai co-pilot after mid-air attack; calls Indian Captain Smit Machchhar a hero - The Tribune (opens Tribune India in a new tab)
Tribune India — is Tribune India biased? Our profile of this outlet
- PM Narendra Modi, Benjamin Netanyahu, Donald Trump and Other Leaders Praise Indian Pilot Smit Machchhar for Averting Mid-Air Disaster | 📰 LatestLY (opens Latestly in a new tab)
- Showed immense courage: PM praises hero Indian pilot for averting flydubai tragedy (opens India Today in a new tab)
India Today — is India Today biased? Our profile of this outlet
- 'He is a true hero': Netanyahu hails Indian pilot Smit Machchhar for averting mid-air catastrophe (opens India TV News in a new tab)
India TV News — is India TV News biased? Our profile of this outlet
- ‘Captain Smit Machchhar is a hero’: PM Modi hails pilot who saved 180 lives (opens Times of India in a new tab)
Times of India — is Times of India biased? Our profile of this outlet
Show 5 more
- Co-Pilot Allegedly Stabs FlyDubai Captain, Passenger Breaks Into Cockpit and Paralyzes Attacker (opens Tribunnews.com in a new tab)
Tribunnews.com — is Tribunnews.com biased? Our profile of this outlet
- The Whole of Israel Is Saluting, Trump Also Praised the Indian Pilot, Saying (opens Unknown in a new tab)
Unknown
- 'He is a true hero': Netanyahu, Trump hail Indian pilot for saving flydubai plane from crashing (opens Firstpost News in a new tab)
Firstpost News — is Firstpost News biased? Our profile of this outlet
- India Embassy In Saudi Says Injured Captain Smit Machchhar Is "Stable" (opens NDTV in a new tab)
- flydubai pilot Smit Machchhar undergoing treatment at Saudi hospital, is stable, says Indian Embassy in Riyadh (opens Moneycontrol in a new tab)
Moneycontrol — is Moneycontrol biased? Our profile of this outlet
Not rated
25- Indian Pilot Smit Machhar Saves 174 Lives On Flydubai Flight, Netanyahu Praises Bravery (opens Zoom News in a new tab)
- Trump Calls Indian Pilot Smit Machchhar A Hero After Flydubai Incident (opens The CSR Journal in a new tab)
The CSR Journal — is The CSR Journal biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Israeli PM Salutes Indian Pilot's Bravery (opens Prabhat Khabar in a new tab)
Prabhat Khabar — is Prabhat Khabar biased? Our profile of this outlet
- 'India is proud': PM Modi praises pilot Capt Smit Machchhar for averting Flydubai hijack attempt (opens Indian Abroad News in a new tab)
Indian Abroad News — is Indian Abroad News biased? Our profile of this outlet
- How ‘hero’ Indian pilot Smit Machchhar helped save Flydubai flight (opens NEWS9 LIVE in a new tab)
NEWS9 LIVE — is NEWS9 LIVE biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Omani Co-Pilot Stabs Indian Pilot to Crash FlyDubai Flight Full of Israeli Citizens (opens Pro Pakistani in a new tab)
Pro Pakistani — is Pro Pakistani biased? Our profile of this outlet
- 'India is proud': PM Modi praises pilot Capt Smit Machchhar for averting Flydubai hijack attempt (opens Mangalorean.com in a new tab)
Mangalorean.com — is Mangalorean.com biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Breaking News: The World Salutes Flydubai's Indian Pilot Smit, Know Who Smit Machar Is (opens tv9gujarati.com in a new tab)
tv9gujarati.com — is tv9gujarati.com biased? Our profile of this outlet
Show 17 more
- 'India is proud': PM Modi praises pilot Capt Smit Machchhar for averting Flydubai hijack attempt (opens bhaskarlive.in in a new tab)
bhaskarlive.in — is bhaskarlive.in biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Benjamin Netanyahu Received the Passenger Who Thwarted the Alleged Bombing of Flydubai's Plane (opens agenciapi.co in a new tab)
agenciapi.co — is agenciapi.co biased? Our profile of this outlet
- The Cockpit Looked Like Something Out of an Action Movie; the Pilot Averted a Tragedy as the Co-Pilot Crashed the Plane to the Ground. (opens kenh14.vn in a new tab)
- Netanyahu Praises Indian Pilot for Saving 174 Passengers, Says Their Condition Is Stable. (opens Unknown in a new tab)
Unknown
- Indian-Origin Pilot Smit Was Bitten by a Mosquito, His Brother Saved the Lives of 180 People, the Israeli Prime Minister Directly Said It Was true.. (opens TV9 Marathi in a new tab)
TV9 Marathi — is TV9 Marathi biased? Our profile of this outlet
- President Trump Called Indian Captain Smit Machhar a Hero for Risking His Life to Save Passengers in Mid-Air. (opens navbharatlive.com in a new tab)
navbharatlive.com — is navbharatlive.com biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Newspaper Reveals the Nationality of the Injured Flydubai Pilot and Details About His Life. (opens sawaleif.com in a new tab)
sawaleif.com — is sawaleif.com biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Netanyahu Praises Indian Pilot on FlyDubai Flight for 'Extraordinary Courage, a True Hero' (opens Mathrubhumi in a new tab)
Mathrubhumi — is Mathrubhumi biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Netanyahu and Trump Hail Captain Smit Machhar, Who Saved the Lives of 174 Passengers, as a Hero - India TV Hindi (opens India TV Hindi Hindi in a new tab)
India TV Hindi Hindi — is India TV Hindi Hindi biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Israel flight hijacking latest: Netanyahu names ‘true hero’ pilot who opened cockpit door after being stabbed (opens MSNBCTV NEWS in a new tab)
MSNBCTV NEWS — is MSNBCTV NEWS biased? Our profile of this outlet
- The World Salutes Flydubai's Indian Pilot Smit, with Everyone From Trump to Netanyahu Saying This. (opens TV9 Hindi in a new tab)
- Israeli PM hails Indian pilot wounded in diverted flydubai flight – The Hindu (opens online-listing.com in a new tab)
online-listing.com — is online-listing.com biased? Our profile of this outlet
- ‘India is proud’: PM Modi praises pilot Capt Smit Machchhar for averting Flydubai hijack attempt (opens Social News XYZ in a new tab)
Social News XYZ — is Social News XYZ biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Indian Pilot Wounded by Plane From Flydubai to Israel Is Stable (opens Caraota Digital in a new tab)
Caraota Digital — is Caraota Digital biased? Our profile of this outlet
- The Indian Embassy Reported on the Stable Condition of the Wounded Flydubai Captain (opens Life.ru in a new tab)
- Flydubai Captain Receives Treatment in Hospital in Saudi Arabia (opens Document in a new tab)
- BLOOD-SOAKED HERO: Stabbed Flydubai Captain Seen Clinging to Life After Alleged Copilot Tried to Crash Israel-Bound Jet (opens matzav.com in a new tab)
matzav.com — is matzav.com biased? Our profile of this outlet
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