Flydubai Mid-Air Crisis: Investigation Turns to Mysterious 16,000-Foot Plunge

A routine flydubai flight was transformed into a life-threatening emergency thousands of feet above the ground after a violent confrontation in the cockpit left the captain seriously injured and the Boeing 737 in a steep descent.

Now, investigators are examining whether the aircraft’s engines were deliberately taken offline during the chaos — a possibility that could help explain why the jet suddenly lost about 16,000 feet in roughly half a minute.

The possible engine shutdown was reported by Italy’s Corriere della Sera, which said investigators were checking whether the fuel-control switches for both engines had been moved from the normal “RUN” position to “CUTOFF.”

The report is based on accounts from people familiar with the incident, crew reports, airport personnel, air traffic controllers and flight-tracking data.

No final official finding has yet established that the engines were intentionally switched off.

A flight suddenly turns into an emergency.

The aircraft was carrying 174 passengers, most of them Israeli nationals, when the crisis unfolded. What initially happened inside the cockpit was apparently unknown to the cabin until sounds of a struggle began to attract attention.

The captain, Indian national Smit Machchhar, was reportedly attacked by his Omani co-pilot, identified by NBC News sources as Hammam al-Hammami.

Authorities have not publicly released the suspect’s name, although media organisations have identified him through their sources.

According to the Italian newspaper’s account, the co-pilot allegedly approached the captain under the guise of praying before launching an attack with a crash axe.

Machchhar reportedly suffered severe injuries to his head and arm. During the struggle, he attempted to get the cockpit door open.

The door was closed again by the co-pilot, but the captain eventually managed to open it, allowing people outside the cockpit to become involved.

The situation might have remained confined to the flight deck had passengers not heard the commotion.

A passenger reportedly became alarmed after hearing repeated banging and alerted others.

Two pilots who were travelling off duty were also informed. Several passengers then moved towards the cockpit, where they encountered the injured captain.

The unexplained descent

The aircraft’s subsequent behaviour has become a central issue for investigators.

According to the Italian report, the Boeing 737 began a dramatic descent after the alleged attacker realised he could not achieve his objective.

The aircraft reportedly dropped approximately 16,000 feet within 30 seconds, while its speed rose above 970 kmph.

The sudden manoeuvre was severe enough to reportedly cause damage to the aircraft’s rudder.

The report also raises the possibility that the aircraft was operating without normal engine thrust during part of the descent.

Emergency lighting visible in videos recorded inside the cabin has been cited as another clue being examined.

One passenger, identified as Yaniv Hayoun, reportedly managed to pull back on the aircraft’s control column, helping prevent the descent from continuing unchecked.

The jet nevertheless lost altitude again before the situation was brought under control.

Two off-duty pilots aboard the aircraft subsequently became involved in restoring stable flight.

Data examined by Corriere della Sera was reportedly consistent with the engines being restarted, although this interpretation has yet to be confirmed by investigators.

What was the alleged motive?

The most serious allegations concern what the co-pilot may have intended to do with the aircraft.

According to the Italian report, which attributed part of its account to Israeli intelligence, the alleged plan was initially to kill the captain, seize control of the aircraft and fly towards Tel Aviv before crashing into a high-rise building.

When that plan apparently failed, the report says the aircraft may have been deliberately directed towards a desert area.

These claims remain subject to investigation. There is no publicly released final report establishing either the alleged target or the precise motive.

Passengers help prevent catastrophe.

The intervention of passengers and the two off-duty pilots appears to have been crucial in preventing the crisis from developing into an aircraft disaster.

After the cockpit door was opened, people were able to enter and help restrain the alleged attacker.

The flight crew then worked to regain control of the aircraft while air traffic controllers assisted from the ground.

Saudi controllers instructed the crew to return and subsequently cleared the aircraft for an emergency landing at Tabuk.

The damaged and badly shaken captain was taken to hospital after the aircraft landed safely. The co-pilot was taken into the custody of Saudi authorities.

Captain recounts the ordeal.

Machchhar later spoke from a hospital in Abu Dhabi during a video conversation released by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Describing the critical moments, the captain said he realised that the aircraft was descending before he succeeded in opening the cockpit door.

His account indicated that his struggle was not simply about regaining control of the aircraft but also about preventing a much larger loss of life.

He had to fight for his own survival while attempting to create an opportunity for others to intervene.

Authorities investigate possible terror connection

The UAE has characterised the episode as an attempted terrorist attack. Emirati authorities said the co-pilot used a crash axe against the captain and attempted to take command of the aircraft.

UAE Attorney General Hamad Saif Al Shamsi said investigators were working to determine the full circumstances, establish the motive and find out whether the suspect had any connections with other individuals or organisations.

Initial assessments cited by NBC News have pointed towards the possibility of a lone actor rather than an operation directed by a government or organised group.

Former Shin Bet official Shalom Ben Hanan suggested that online material could have influenced the suspect, while cautioning that only a completed investigation could determine whether the attack had wider links.

Iran angle remains unproven

Speculation about possible foreign involvement has also emerged.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said authorities were examining whether the attacker had been directed by another party.

US President Donald Trump separately raised the possibility of Iranian involvement and warned of further action if Tehran were found responsible.

But a senior US official briefed on the case told NBC News that there were no indications at that stage that Iran had directed or participated in the incident.

The conflicting possibilities underline why investigators have yet to draw a conclusion about the attacker’s motive or affiliations.

Why Israel is examining the flight

The incident has also opened a separate security question in Israel: how an Omani national was cleared to operate a flight into Tel Aviv.

Israel and Oman do not have diplomatic relations, making the presence of an Omani pilot on such a route particularly sensitive from a security perspective.

Israeli authorities are therefore examining the screening and clearance procedures surrounding the flight.

For investigators, however, the most immediate mystery remains what happened to the aircraft’s systems during those critical seconds.

Whether both engines were intentionally shut down, whether the loss of thrust resulted from another failure or action, and exactly how the aircraft’s controls were manipulated could determine the full picture of how a passenger flight came so close to disaster.

Until the official investigation is completed, the reported engine-switch theory and the alleged wider plot remain investigative claims rather than facts.