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Disaster · Accident · Impact 2 Notable

Flydubai captain describes blocking axe blows from co-pilot on Dubai–Tel Aviv flight

· Dubai, United Arab Emirates · single source so far

Capt Smit Machchhar of flight FZ1073 described blocking axe blows and screaming for help as he opened the cockpit door. The UAE attorney general has said the co-pilot intended to crash the plane into Ben Gurion airport in an attempted suicide attack.

Location
Dubai, United Arab Emirates · United Arab Emirates live map
Coordinates
25.25°N 55.37°E
Reported
18 Oct 2026, 17:27 UTC
Category
Disaster · Accident
Impact
2 of 5 · Notable
Situation
Aviation security
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Israel-origin Austrian Airlines flight diverts to Sofia after bomb threat

On Sunday night, the crew of Austrian Airlines flight OS82, which was flying from Israel, decided to land in Sofia after receiving a bomb threat, Bulgarian authorities say. Earlier on Sunday, the captain of flydubai flight FZ1073 gave an account of an incident on the Dubai to Tel Aviv route. The UAE attorney general has said the co-pilot intended to crash the plane into Ben Gurion airport in an attempted suicide attack.

  • Bulgarian authorities say the OS82 crew chose to land in Sofia after a bomb threat.
  • Capt Smit Machchhar of flight FZ1073 described blocking axe blows from the co-pilot and screaming for help as he opened the cockpit door.
  • The UAE attorney general says the co-pilot intended to crash the plane into Ben Gurion airport.
Updated 19 Oct 2026, 04:31 UTC · Written by Claude from the reports on this page and on the map. Check the linked sources for full details.

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