A Flydubai Boeing 737 MAX 8 operating flight FZ1073 from Dubai International Airport to Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv was diverted and made an emergency landing at Tabuk Airport in northwestern Saudi Arabia on September 30, 2026, after a violent altercation in the flight deck. Both the captain and first officer sustained injuries and were hospitalized. All passengers and remaining crew were reported safe and accounted for.
The flight departed Dubai at approximately 03:05 UTC (07:05 local time). Roughly two hours into the journey, while cruising near 34,000 feet over Saudi Arabia near the Jordanian border, flight-tracking data showed the aircraft experiencing a sudden and rapid descent. Reports based on Flightradar24 and similar tracking services indicated a drop of approximately 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds, or around 17,000 feet within one to two minutes, before the aircraft partially recovered and continued at a lower altitude under what appeared to be manual control.
During this period the aircraft transmitted the international emergency squawk code 7700, followed by the code 7500 indicating unlawful interference or hijacking, before returning to 7700. Israeli authorities scrambled fighter jets in response to the signals. The aircraft ultimately diverted and landed safely at Tabuk (Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz International Airport) around 09:45 local time.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that one of the pilots stabbed the other and “apparently tried to crash the plane with its passengers on board.” He said an Israeli passenger reported that the aircraft entered a spin and began descending, after which the passenger and a crew member entered the cockpit and, with others, overpowered the pilot who had carried out the stabbing while that individual was attempting to sabotage the aircraft’s systems. Netanyahu confirmed that the pilot involved in the stabbing had been arrested and was being questioned by Saudi authorities. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz described the incident as an “attempted jihadist terror attack.” Multiple Israeli officials assessed the event as a possible attempted terror attack rather than a mental health episode.
Passenger accounts described screams from the cockpit area, blood visible after the door was opened, and a chaotic scene in which passengers near the front of the cabin rushed forward. Some reports stated that the wounded captain managed to unlock or open the cockpit door, allowing intervention. Video footage verified by news organizations showed bloodied individuals on the floor of the aircraft and passengers assisting or guarding the area. Off-duty or reserve Flydubai crew members traveling on the flight helped secure the aircraft, stabilize it, and land it at Tabuk.
The flight carried approximately 170 to 180 passengers, the majority of them Israeli, including reports of around 27 children. No passenger injuries were reported. Tabuk airport authorities confirmed that the captain and first officer were injured and transported to hospital. Flydubai deployed two replacement aircraft to Tabuk to transport the passengers and crew onward.
In official statements, Flydubai confirmed that “an altercation occurred in the flight deck” of flight FZ1073. The aircraft “was successfully secured by on-duty flydubai crew travelling on the flight, who diverted and landed the aircraft safely at Tabuk Airport (TUU). All passengers and crew are safe and accounted for.” The airline stated that the underlying reasons and motives remain unknown and are subject to formal investigation, and it urged parties to refrain from premature speculation. It confirmed that the incident had no impact on other network operations and that its priority was the safety, health, and wellbeing of those involved while supporting the official investigation.
Media reports, citing Israeli officials and sources, identified the captain as Indian national Smit Machchhar, a former SpiceJet pilot who joined Flydubai in June 2022 as a direct-entry captain with extensive experience on Boeing 737 aircraft. The co-pilot was identified in multiple Israeli reports as an Omani national who had worked for the airline for less than a year. Flydubai has not publicly confirmed the identities or nationalities of the pilots involved.
Video shows chaos erupt as co-pilot stabs captain multiple times in attempt to crash Flydubai plane from Dubai pic.twitter.com/fWLbtneogk
— PrimeTime News (@PrimeTimeNewsZA) September 30, 2026
Saudi authorities took the individual involved in the stabbing into custody for questioning. Israeli authorities treated the matter as a serious security incident and launched related inquiries. Passengers were later transported from Tabuk toward their intended destination. Investigations by relevant authorities in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Israel into the precise sequence of events, the weapon involved, crew screening, and any potential motive remain ongoing.
Victor Matome Rampedi appears in Thembisa court for murder of Ntombifuthi Nxumalo as case postponed for bail application
Victor Matome Rampedi, 36, appeared in the Thembisa Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, 29 September 2026, facing a charge of murder in connection with the death of Ntombifuthi Nxumalo. The case was postponed to 6 October 2026 to allow for further investigation and a formal bail application. Rampedi remains in custody. He informed the court that he intends to apply for bail. The State indicated it will oppose the application. The court noted that Rampedi has no previous convictions.
Nxumalo’s body was discovered on Saturday, 26 September 2026, at Mooifontein Cemetery in the Vusimuzi Section of Thembisa, Ekurhuleni. Police found the body naked and with serious head injuries. Stones were located around the body at the scene, raising the possibility that she may have been stoned. No visible stab wounds were observed.
Preliminary investigations established that Nxumalo had been drinking at a local tavern with a female acquaintance. She later left the premises in the company of a man. Residents living near the cemetery reported hearing a woman screaming and pleading for her life at approximately 23:00 on the night of the incident.
Police traced a suspect to an address in Thembisa. It was then established that the man had travelled to Limpopo. A multidisciplinary team, comprising members of Crime Intelligence from the Ekurhuleni District, Tembisa South detectives, the Investigative Psychology Services and the Gauteng Local Criminal Record Centre, travelled to Mohlabaneng Village in Limpopo. With assistance from SAPS Bolobedu, officers found the suspect asleep in his room and arrested him at approximately 23:00 on Saturday, 26 September 2026. He was subsequently brought back to Thembisa.
The National Prosecuting Authority has stated that the State alleges Nxumalo was fatally assaulted after leaving the tavern. Police have recorded this death as one in a series of cases involving the discovery of women’s bodies in Ekurhuleni since July 2026. Authorities have not linked Rampedi to any of the other incidents.
Outside the court, Nxumalo’s family members expressed anger after seeing the accused arrive at the building without handcuffs. Her uncle, Vincent Nxumalo, stated that the family wants the accused to remain behind bars, describing continued custody as a potential lesson to others. The family is currently raising funds to transport Nxumalo’s body from Johannesburg to Nongoma in KwaZulu-Natal for burial. Family members indicated that she was unemployed and did not have funeral insurance.
Senior police leadership has publicly commended the coordinated work of the investigation teams that secured the arrest on the same day the body was discovered. The matter is set to return to the Thembisa Magistrates’ Court on 6 October 2026.
Man admits beating two-year-old to death; toddler had 20 injuries
Carel Pieter Daniel Fouché, 35, admitted in the Stilfontein regional court in North West that he repeatedly struck a two-year-old boy, causing the child’s death from blunt force trauma to the head.
The victim was Kelvin Bart Nieuwenhuizen. The incident took place on the night of 14–15 May 2025 at a house in Clubview Street, Stilfontein. Several families lived in the house. Court records and Fouché’s own plea description described the property as a place of regular drug use, including crystal meth and “goof.”
Fouché was in a relationship with the child’s grandmother, Marietjie Niewenhuizen. The toddler was staying in the grandmother’s room because of the mother’s drug addiction. On the evening of 14 May 2025, Fouché and the grandmother used drugs. She fell asleep soon afterwards. During the night the child began crying. Fouché, still under the influence, became irritated because the crying continued and the grandmother did not wake. He then repeatedly hit the two-year-old with open hands and fists.
The grandmother later woke and took the child from Fouché. The full extent of the injuries only became clear the next morning. Fouché said he woke to find the child lying on the floor, wrapped in a blanket and not breathing.
A post-mortem examination by Dr Ruweida Moorad established that the cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head. Court-related reporting confirmed the child had sustained 20 injuries.
Fouché and the grandmother were arrested shortly after the body was found. The grandmother was initially also charged with murder. That charge was later withdrawn and she was released in November following the 2025 arrest. Fouché remained in custody.
On 7 July 2026 Fouché pleaded guilty to murder in the Stilfontein regional court. In a written plea explanation signed that day he stated that he knew the assault on the small child could cause death, that he acted intentionally and unlawfully in taking the child’s life, and that drug use did not amount to a defence. He expressed remorse and said he was deeply sorry for his conduct.
The case was postponed for pre-sentence reports. An appearance on 20 August 2026 was further postponed to 29 September 2026 for sentencing after the regional magistrate was on sick leave and the necessary reports were not yet ready. Fouché remained in custody pending the sentencing decision.
Community members in Stilfontein followed the case from the time of the child’s death. The house was known locally as a drug den. The child’s body was discovered under a blanket in a bedroom. Funeral arrangements and community support took place in the weeks after the death in May 2025.
These details are drawn from the court record, Fouché’s plea explanation, the post-mortem finding, and contemporaneous local reporting of the arrests, charges, guilty plea and postponements.
Two Abandoned Hand Grenades Recovered in Wilro Park, Roodepoort
Police in Roodepoort recovered two abandoned hand grenades from an open field in the Wilro Park area on 24 September 2026.
The explosives were discovered at approximately 20:00 by a passer-by, who immediately alerted the South African Police Service (SAPS). Members of the SAPS Explosives Unit responded to the scene and safely removed both devices.
No arrests have been made. Police investigations continue to determine the circumstances under which the grenades were left in the field.
Anyone with information that could assist the investigation is urged to contact the nearest police station, the Crime Stop number 08600 10111, or submit an anonymous tip via the MySAPS App.
Members of the public are reminded that if they encounter any suspected explosive device, they should not touch, move or approach it. They should move away from the area and contact SAPS immediately.
This account is based solely on the official SAPS statement issued on 30 September 2026. No further verified details regarding the origin of the grenades, any linked suspects, or additional recoveries have been released at this stage.
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- Victor Matome Rampedi appears in Thembisa court for murder of Ntombifuthi Nxumalo as case postponed for bail application
