How did flydubai plane survive 17,000-foot plunge? Aviation experts stunned

Aviation experts have expressed surprise that the flydubai Dubai-Tel Aviv flight survived a massive 17,000-foot plunge during the mid-air cockpit attack, saying the extreme descent caused significant damage to the plane's rudder and could have ended in a crash.Passengers board a FlyDubai aircraft at Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv, Israel on Wednesday. (Photo: Reuters)New Delhi,Oct 1, 2026 14:32 ISTThe flydubai Dubai-Tel Aviv flight involved in Wednesday’s mid-air cockpit attack survived a 17,000-foot plunge that ripped off most of the plane’s rudder, leaving aviation experts stunned by how the Boeing 737 MAX landed safely in Saudi Arabia.Flight FZ1073 was flying at around 34,000 feet when it suddenly began a steep descent, dropping to around 16,600 feet in just over two minutes. The plunge came after pilot Smit Machchhar, who was captaining the flight, was stabbed by his Omani co-pilot during a confrontation inside the cockpit. The aircraft transmitted emergency signals before diverting to Prince Sultan Bin Abdel Aziz Airport in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.Former United Airlines pilot and aviation safety expert Steve Arroyo said he was surprised the aircraft managed to land safely after the steep descent. “That was a serious descent and strong aerodynamic forces on that rudder for that to happen. I’m just amazed the aircraft didn’t come apart,” Arroyo told news agency The Associated Press.Significantly, the flydubai incident comes at a time when Boeing is under renewed global scrutiny over aircraft safety and reliability. Aviation safety expert Jeff Guzzetti, a former crash investigator with the US National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration, said the aircraft might not have been able to recover if it had dropped below 10,000 feet.“It is remarkable they were able to pull out of that dive. What saved them is there was enough altitude left for them to recover,” Guzzetti told AP.WHAT HAPPENED ON THE FLYDUBAI FLIGHT? The flydubai flight was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv when Machchhar was stabbed by his Omani co-pilot inside the cockpit. The cause of the attack was not known and is being investigated by Israel, which is treating the incident as a "terror attack".The aircraft transmitted emergency signals, possibly triggered by Machchhar during the attack, before plunging about 17,400 feet from 34,000 feet to around 16,600 feet in just over two minutes.Machchhar was injured during the confrontation but managed to raise the alarm and opened the cockpit door, allowing passengers and a crew member later to overpower the co-pilot. A plumber who was among the 174 passengers, had no flying experience, and took control of the plane before it landed safely in Saudi Arabia.A passenger told The Associated Press that the aircraft suddenly began dropping for around 20 to 30 seconds, describing the experience as “massive turbulence” and a strong G-force.Machchhar, a former SpiceJet pilot, is earning accolades globally for displaying bravery and courage to save lives of passengers while fending off the stabbing attack from the co-pilot. He has an experience of 15 years.Machchhar underwent surgery after the incident and was reported to be stable. Saudi authorities arrested the co-pilot.Meanwhile, Flydubai has temporarily suspended flights to Israel while the investigation into the incident continues.- Ends