Pilot says hijacked flydubai 737 narrowly avoided crash after steep dive

An attempted hijacking of a flyfly ​ ​ ​ ​ ​​ ​ ​ ​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ Boeing 737-8 Max bound for Tel Aviv saw the aircraft lose more than 13,000 ft in a 40-second dive after the co-pilot, an Omani-national stab stab ​ ​ ​ ​ ​​ ​ ​ ​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ Smit Mach ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​. Israeli Air Force veteran Alon Pereg, with 28 years of service, explained that another 40-second interval would likely have ended in a crash.

Passengers rushed the cockpit after Machchhar unlocked the door, placed the attacker in a chokehold, and off-duty pilots helped land the plane at Tabuk airport in Saudi Arabia. The autopilot disengaged during the struggle, and the flight had issued both a general-emergency (7700) and a hijack (7500) squawk. Survivors described terror and loss of power, while Shin Bet agents are preparing repatriation flights to Israel. UAE authorities have opened a probe into the incident’s motives and possible terrorist links.