Flydubai incident: Israel prepared for 3 scenarios, including shooting down jet to avoid 9/11-style attack
The flydubai flight emergency prompted a massive Israeli military response, with officials preparing for worst-case scenarios like a 9/11-style attack by scrambling fighter jets and elite units
Israeli authorities and military scrambled to prepare for multiple catastrophic scenarios, including the possibility of shooting down flydubai flight FZ1073, after receiving an emergency signal. Fighter jets and elite counter-terrorism units were put on high alert to address potential crashes or hijackings. The crisis was ultimately averted through a combination of fortunate circumstances, the bravery of the Indian pilot Smit Machchhar, and resourceful actions by passengers who intervened.
Israeli authorities and military scrambled to prepare for multiple catastrophic scenarios, including the possibility of shooting down flydubai flight FZ1073, after receiving an emergency signal. Fighter jets and elite counter-terrorism units were put on high alert to address potential crashes or hijackings. The crisis was ultimately averted through a combination of fortunate circumstances, the bravery of the Indian pilot Smit Machchhar, and resourceful actions by passengers who intervened.
Israeli authorities and military scrambled to prepare for multiple catastrophic scenarios, including the possibility of shooting down flydubai flight FZ1073, after receiving an emergency signal. Fighter jets and elite counter-terrorism units were put on high alert to address potential crashes or hijackings. The crisis was ultimately averted through a combination of fortunate circumstances, the bravery of the Indian pilot Smit Machchhar, and resourceful actions by passengers who intervened.
Just as Israeli authorities received the emergency signal from the flydubai FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv, the top echelons prepared for a series of possibilities to handle the crisis, some with terrible consequences.
According to a report that appeared in Hebrew media, the military prepared for several disaster scenarios, including the possibility of shooting down the plane to prevent a "9/11-style disaster," or even a hijacking for leverage. It scrambled fighter jets and considered deploying an elite unit as the crisis evolved.
The first scenario Israel prepared for was the possibility that the plane would crash within Israeli territory. Consequently, Air Force fighter jets were rapidly scrambled toward Jordan, with the understanding that, if necessary, they would have to shoot down the aircraft to prevent a crash like the 9/11 attacks in New York. Israeli officials assessed that "the terrorist pilot planned to crash in Israel and was looking for a symbolic target. But he wouldn't have succeeded, as the plane would have been intercepted en route, according to Hebrew media Ynet News.
A second scenario for which preparations were made was that the plane might crash in Jordanian or Saudi territory. In such an event, it might have been necessary to deploy operatives from Shaldag—the Air Force’s elite unit—which, according to foreign reports, took part in the April 2026 rescue of two American aircrew members after their F-15E Strike Eagle crashed on Iranian soil.
A third possibility considered was that the plane and its occupants might be hijacked for leverage; preparations for this contingency were made by Yamam, Israel’s national counter-terrorism and hostage-rescue unit.
Even before consulting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz, the IDF conducted a situation assessment with top officials. The assessment covered various potential developments—including preparations for a hostile incident that could escalate and drag on for hours. A decision was made to scramble two fighter jets capable of responding to any aerial scenario.
Though the investigation is only ongoing, it has become apparent that a chain of miracles, alongside the admirable heroism of the Indian pilot Smit Machchhar and the passengers who showed resourcefulness, prevented the terrible disaster.
Machchhar managed to open the cockpit door, allowing Israeli passengers to enter the cockpit. If the plane door had not been open, they would not have been able to enter from the outside.