On September 30, 2026, Flydubai Flight 1073, en route from Dubai to Tel Aviv, became the scene of an extraordinary mid-air crisis. The co-pilot—an Omani national—violently attacked the Indian captain, Smit Machchhar, with an axe, then seized control and forced the aircraft into a steep dive. In just 35 seconds, the plane dropped over 16,000 feet, reaching near-supersonic speeds of roughly 700 mph. Passengers standing in the aisle were thrown about under extreme g-forces. It seemed certain that no one would survive.