# Blood at 35,000 feet: possible hijacking attempt on flight to Israel **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 30, 2026, 11:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-at-35-000-feet-possible-hijacking-attempt-on-flight-to-israel/1033484 "2026-09-30T11:25:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Llama\_Llogophile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@Llama\_Llogophile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Llama_Llogophile)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2026, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-at-35-000-feet-possible-hijacking-attempt-on-flight-to-israel/1033484/101 "2026-10-01T23:46:47Z")
> [@Al128](#): > > if the plane is doing an extreme descend like it did after the brawl … > > … what happens if Joe the Plumber sees (and presses) the button labeled “Autopilot” in the cockpit? > > would it engage or would it say **“_plane is outside of my parameters/envelope, please contact a local Boeing associate at your earliest convenience to further discuss your options_”?** Again, not a Boeing guy. But in my technically advanced bizjet simply turning on the autopilot in that situation probably wouldn’t help much, though it depends on several factors. Assuming the plane was in level flight and then disrupted… It might recover laterally, meaning the course it was previously flying. But vertically, the system would basically say, “Hey, you’re away from the altitude you selected. Are you sure you want to do that?” And it would wait for a pilot input. The other thing in play is the auto-throttle, which could be still active while the autopilot was off. I think it would attempt to command the cruise speed, but if the dive was abrupt and sustained it would have to throttle back to slow down. In that case the A/T would retard the power to idle, but that’s all it could do. The system would then display a warning that it had reached its limits and wait for the pilot to do something about it. Interesting question. Maybe I’ll try it in the sim next week. Edit: In my plane there is normally some high and low airspeed protection via the auto-throttle. But it wouldn’t activate without the autopilot engaged, even if the auto-throttle itself was still on. Perhaps a little ironically, another form of low-speed protection WOULD still be available even without any automation engaged, but it wouldn’t help in the diving airplane situation, obviously. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2026, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-at-35-000-feet-possible-hijacking-attempt-on-flight-to-israel/1033484/102 "2026-10-02T00:07:14Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > Could the pilots, when trying to defeat people in the cabin, just fly straight and level, but resort to putting on oxygen masks, then intentionally depressurizing the cabin so everyone passes out from lack of O2? Do commercial jets have a “release air” emergency button? ETA: > [@Llama\_Llogophile](#): > > I’m a bizjet guy, not a Boeing guy. In my plane I could use the “dump” button which would drive the outflow valves to full open and de-pressurize the cabin. Wow, apparently they literally do? You learn something new every day! Smoke fighting makes sense as a purpose. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2026, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-at-35-000-feet-possible-hijacking-attempt-on-flight-to-israel/1033484/103 "2026-10-02T00:38:02Z")
Same-ish on big jets. Details differ by era, make, & model of course, but the design regs require an easy to use smoke clearance capability. Since you may be really struggling to see through that smoke to activate that clearing configuration. You can maximize the outflow w a couple knobs or buttons at most. Along with configuring max input, that’s used for smoke clearance. If you really wanted to incapacitate everyone, a la Maylasia 370, set max output like for smoke and also disable all the input air w a couple more switches or buttons. You’ll be fully depressurized in 20 - 30 seconds. Then it’s just a matter of a minute or three until everybody is quiescent. The higher you are, the faster that is. Might only take 30 seconds until they’re all listless on the floor. Eyes open, brains mostly faded to useless. Then comes unconsciousness, brain damage, and death. All on a slower time scale, but absent restoring air at pressure it’s a one way trip. The upper atmosphere is not a human-compatible environment. ---
**Author:** ![Al128](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/al128/32/16541_2.png) [@Al128](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al128)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2026, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-at-35-000-feet-possible-hijacking-attempt-on-flight-to-israel/1033484/104 "2026-10-02T00:54:01Z")
cool stuff, indeed … Did you (and colleagues) actively “mindgame” for those scenarios e.g. when more idle periods on longer flights? … or is that part of more general safety protocols, “tought-in-class” material? ---
**Author:** ![Llama\_Llogophile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@Llama\_Llogophile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Llama_Llogophile)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2026, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-at-35-000-feet-possible-hijacking-attempt-on-flight-to-israel/1033484/105 "2026-10-02T01:52:15Z")
> [@Al128](#): > > Did you (and colleagues) actively “mindgame” for those scenarios e.g. when more idle periods on longer flights? … or is that part of more general safety protocols, “tought-in-class” material? When I was an airline pilot I was actually taught some self-defense as part of our initial training program. But I never seriously considered the possibility of having to defend myself from the other pilot. I still mostly don’t, as this is a vanishingly rare occurrence. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2026, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-at-35-000-feet-possible-hijacking-attempt-on-flight-to-israel/1033484/106 "2026-10-02T02:13:36Z")
There was class. There are plays published in our manuals. And yes, lots of chitchat about how to handle these situations above and beyond the playbook. Usually conversations were triggered by something in the news. Like this instance. I have no doubt there’s chattering going on in cockpits all over the world this week. As @Llama_Llogophile mostly said, dealing w incapacitated pilots was part of the game. Dealing with crazy ones was less an emphasis. But yes, talked about. And thought about. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2026, 7:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-at-35-000-feet-possible-hijacking-attempt-on-flight-to-israel/1033484/107 "2026-10-02T07:12:15Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > The upper atmosphere is not a human-compatible environment. Climbers call altitudes above 8,000 meter the [death zone](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_zone) for a reason. They’re talking much longer than a few minutes but still… ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2026, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-at-35-000-feet-possible-hijacking-attempt-on-flight-to-israel/1033484/108 "2026-10-02T16:46:56Z")
The pilot is doing better. I read in another article that he was [transferred to a Abu Dhabi hospital.](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/oct/02/indian-pilot-smit-machchhar-recalls-flydubai-cockpit-attack) Link [FlyDubai captain tells India's leader how he saved himself and 173 others while fighting for his own life - CBS News](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/flydubai-flight-incident-pilot-tells-india-leader-modi-his-story/) > [@](#): > > Flight captain Smit Machchhar told India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi in an emotional video call from his hospital bed in Saudi Arabia on Thursday that, despite multiple stab wounds, he managed to open the cockpit door to let in [passengers who subdued the attacking co-pilot](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/flydubai-flight-israel-passengers-recount-alleged-terror-attack-hijack/), likely saving the 174 people on the Boeing 737. > > “I was fighting for my life,” said Machchhar, who is an Indian national. "When I was lying on the floor I could feel the aircraft was going down. I knew exactly that this would be the last push. I told myself that if I didn’t get up, there would be a problem. I managed to open the door, and then everyone else came in. ---
**Author:** ![ThisOneGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@ThisOneGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisOneGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2026, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-at-35-000-feet-possible-hijacking-attempt-on-flight-to-israel/1033484/109 "2026-10-02T17:45:42Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Then it’s just a matter of a minute or three until everybody is quiescent. The higher you are, the faster that is. Might only take 30 seconds until they’re all listless on the floor. Eyes open, brains mostly faded to useless. Then comes unconsciousness, brain damage, and death. All on a slower time scale, but absent restoring air at pressure it’s a one way trip. Wouldn’t the over seat oxygen masks deploy automatically? So every body could stay alive, but be tethered to their seats. Believe there is a portable tank for crew to use so they can walk around. Think those masks are only good for 15 minutes or so tho. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2026, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-at-35-000-feet-possible-hijacking-attempt-on-flight-to-israel/1033484/110 "2026-10-02T17:57:45Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Since you may be really struggling to see through that smoke to activate that clearing configuration. This was illustrated to me when I learned that some aircraft instrument panels can deploy (afix?) curtains that pilots clip to their mask/wear like a hood for maintaining visibility to the panel indicators. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2026, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-at-35-000-feet-possible-hijacking-attempt-on-flight-to-israel/1033484/111 "2026-10-02T17:57:56Z")
> [@DesertDog](#): > > > [@LSLGuy](#): > > > > The upper atmosphere is not a human-compatible environment. > > Climbers call altitudes above 8,000 meter the [death zone](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_zone) for a reason. They’re talking much longer than a few minutes but still… You certainly pass out fairly quickly from lack of oxygen, but i would think it must be more than a minute. Many people can hold their breath for a minute, with no particular ill effects. I suppose there’s still air in the lungs, but if you thought to pinch your nose, that could be true at high altitude, in an airplane, too. I would have guessed 3-5 minutes to pass out. And not a lot longer before you get brain damage. ---
**Author:** ![Llama\_Llogophile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@Llama\_Llogophile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Llama_Llogophile)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2026, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-at-35-000-feet-possible-hijacking-attempt-on-flight-to-israel/1033484/112 "2026-10-02T19:48:17Z")
> [@ThisOneGuy](#): > > Wouldn’t the over seat oxygen masks deploy automatically? So every body could stay alive, but be tethered to their seats. Believe there is a portable tank for crew to use so they can walk around. Think those masks are only good for 15 minutes or so tho. In my plane I could use the dump button, as I said. But then I could put the mask system into “close”, which would cut off passenger O2, but maintain the supply to the pilots. Again, not sure how effective this would be. 15000’ foot air is still somewhat breathable. But I’d certainly try it if I had to. As for portable O2… The crew emergency donning masks can only be used in place. Some operators do carry portable O2 canisters, and there’s also the Personal Breathing Equipment (PBE) intended to be used for cabin fires. But it would be a hell of a last resort for me to depressurize the cabin, then go all Lizzie Borden on the attackers with the cockpit crash ax, all while wearing the PBE. If I survived that I’m sure I’d need some therapy. ---
**Author:** ![Ancient\_Nerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed655f/32.png) [@Ancient\_Nerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ancient_Nerd)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2026, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-at-35-000-feet-possible-hijacking-attempt-on-flight-to-israel/1033484/113 "2026-10-02T20:23:18Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > I would have guessed 3-5 minutes to pass out. And not a lot longer before you get brain damage. The standard safety talk includes that you should put your own mask on before helping your baby. That seems to be because you would pass out before you finish helping the baby. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2026, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-at-35-000-feet-possible-hijacking-attempt-on-flight-to-israel/1033484/114 "2026-10-02T20:35:23Z")
[MSN.com](http://MSN.com) repost of Wall Street Journal article: **FlyDubai attacker had been banned from flying by Oman for radical views** > The FlyDubai co-pilot who stabbed his captain and sent Flight 1073 diving toward the ground had previously been banned from flying by Oman over concerns he had adopted radical ideological views, people familiar with the matter said. > > Despite the ban, the pilot, an Omani national, was hired by FlyDubai, the people said, allowing him to pilot on the sensitive route connecting the United Arab Emirates and Israel. > > It couldn’t be determined whether Oman shared concerns about the pilot’s radicalization with other countries or airlines. The nature of his radicalization couldn’t be learned. > **[MSN](https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/flydubai-attacker-had-been-banned-from-flying-by-oman-for-radical-views/ar-AA2dry0T)** ---
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2026, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-at-35-000-feet-possible-hijacking-attempt-on-flight-to-israel/1033484/115 "2026-10-02T20:41:09Z")
If this turns out to be true, I’m guessing FlyDubai’s going to take an even worse hit than they already have. Bad enough said co-pilot turned out to be psycho enough to attempt murder in mid-air, but if his home country had banned him, then an airline in another country hired him and put him on a security-sensitive route, they’re looking either ignorant, inept, or intentionally malicious. None of these would incline passengers with an interest in personal safety to book with that airline, I would think. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2026, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-at-35-000-feet-possible-hijacking-attempt-on-flight-to-israel/1033484/116 "2026-10-02T20:53:05Z")
If this is true, I’d want whoever is responsible for this at FlyDubai to face criminal charges. If things had gone even a little bit differently, then at a _minimum_ everyone aboard the plane would be dead, and at worst he would have perpetrated a 9/11 style attack. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2026, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-at-35-000-feet-possible-hijacking-attempt-on-flight-to-israel/1033484/117 "2026-10-02T21:12:21Z")
If flyDubai officially did ask the appropriate Omani government office & got no reply, or a “no worries” reply, who should be prosecuted then? I’m not asserting that did happen. But it sure might’ve. Governments are infamous for not talking to each other. Or being noncommital when asked about something they’re not proud of. ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2026, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-at-35-000-feet-possible-hijacking-attempt-on-flight-to-israel/1033484/118 "2026-10-02T22:01:48Z")
> [@JKellyMap](#): > > Wow! Is that confirmed, from a reliable source? If so, wow…already looking forward to the MentourPilot video on this. Here you go. In this short Petter suggest that Yaniv’s pulling back on the yoke may have saved the plane in this case, but could easily have had a much more disastrous outcome. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/wEb2EgquLnA/maxresdefault.jpg "Flydubai Update: The Co-Pilot Did WHAT?!") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEb2EgquLnA) I haven’t watched this 78-minute video that was posted yesterday yet, but he and Ben may have touched on that, along with everything else. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/jqfKh1aiBOg/maxresdefault.jpg "EVERYTHING We Know About The FlyDubai Accident!") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqfKh1aiBOg) ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2026, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-at-35-000-feet-possible-hijacking-attempt-on-flight-to-israel/1033484/119 "2026-10-02T22:03:39Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > If flyDubai officially did ask the appropriate Omani government office & got no reply, or a “no worries” reply, who should be prosecuted then? If countries and airlines are like most companies I’m familiar with, all they will do is confirm what position they held during what time period. ---
**Author:** ![CaveMike](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cavemike/32/16379_2.png) [@CaveMike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaveMike)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2026, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-at-35-000-feet-possible-hijacking-attempt-on-flight-to-israel/1033484/120 "2026-10-02T22:05:08Z")
> [@CaveMike](#): > > Weren’t the passenger pilots scheduled to fly that same plane back to Dubai (aka deadheading)? A [NYT article](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/02/world/middleeast/flydubai-flight-cockpit-stabbing-extra-pilots.html) on why there were 4 pilots. It wasn’t pay walled for me (for some reason). Aside for generic deadheading: > Another possibility is that FlyDubai needed a second crew to fly the plane on its return leg to Dubai because the operating crew would have exceeded its legal duty limits and required mandatory rest, aviation industry experts said. And: > While a 3.5-hour flight would not normally require extra pilots, analysts said regional conditions have created unique scheduling demands. Major Persian Gulf-based carriers have repeatedly suspended, canceled or rerouted flights as conflicts in the region have flared. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-at-35-000-feet-possible-hijacking-attempt-on-flight-to-israel/1033484.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-at-35-000-feet-possible-hijacking-attempt-on-flight-to-israel/1033484.md?page=7)