Flight Path Animation Shows flydubai Boeing 737 MAX's Horrifying Dive

The survival of the flydubai flight that dived suddenly from 34,000 feet to 17,000 feet in about a minute-and-a-half with the co-pilot trying to kill the pilot was nothing short of a miracle.

flydubai flight FZ1073 travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv was diverted to Tabuk in Saudi Arabia following the incident in which Indian pilot Smit Machchhar was critically injured.

Now, the horrifying, sudden descent of the aircraft, a Boeing 737 MAX, which would have put extreme stress on its airframe can be seen in an animation. The animation shows the extreme danger the aircraft faced when it dived and reached supersonic speed.

According to experts, at this speed, most civilian airliners would likely be severely damaged and become unflyable.

Machchhar was attacked by the co-pilot, an Omani national, according to media reports, as the co-pilot tried to take control of the aircraft. Despite serious injuries, the Indian pilot unlocked the cockpit door and allowed passengers and crew to intervene.

Machchhar is a direct-entry captain with the UAE-based flydubai, with over 13 years of commercial aviation experience and around 9,750 flying hours, predominantly on the Boeing 737. He spent 11 years with SpiceJet as a line training captain before joining flydubai.

Israeli leaders have hailed Machchhar as a "hero" for thwarting the attempt by his co-pilot to crash the plane that was carrying 180 people and wished him a speedy recovery.

"Despite being stabbed and seriously injured, he fought back, resisted, opened the cockpit door, and enabled passengers and crew to overpower the attacker - preventing a catastrophic mid-air disaster," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement, hailing him as a "true hero".

"My salute to the Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar for his extraordinary bravery," Netanyahu said, adding that he saved the lives of 174 people, including Israeli citizens and other nationals.

There were 174 passengers, including 27 children.

Israel's Foreign Ministry also called Machchhar a "hero" and hailed the collective efforts of the Indian pilot, Israeli passengers and Emirati crew in saving those onboard.