What happened
Flydubai flight FZ1073 left Dubai for Tel Aviv on September 30, 2026. Israeli officials say passengers and crew foiled a co-pilot's attempt to crash the aircraft after he stabbed the captain. The Boeing 737 MAX landed in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. No passenger injuries were reported, and both pilots were hospitalized on arrival.
Israel's government described the event as an attempted terrorist attack, though the Prime Minister's Office said it was not a hijacking. We use neutral language here, "cockpit attack," until investigators learn more.
In our 2015 Germanwings article, we wrote that during that attack, the reinforced door enabled the attacking co-pilot by isolating him from the captain who had stepped out to use the lavatory. By contrast, in 2026 on FZ1073, passengers and crew heard the struggle, the wounded captain managed to unlock the cockpit door from inside, allowing passengers to subdue the co-pilot attacker and summon two off-duty pilots traveling as passengers. In 2015 the door kept the attacker unstoppable, while on the Flydubai flight cockpit access allowed others to intervene.
What we don't know yet
- Motive. Israeli officials reportedly disagree on whether this was terrorism or a suicide attempt, and Flydubai has cautioned against conclusions about motive. Either, both or neither may prove true.
- The co-pilot's background. We have no verified information about his medical, psychological, employment or certification history. A report that he was recently hired is secondhand and unconfirmed.
- The sequence of events. Reports of the descent range from roughly 14,000 feet in under 30 seconds to over 17,000 feet.
- Who landed the aircraft. Passengers say the off-duty pilots did. Flydubai said on-duty crew did.
- Whether any warning signs existed, and whether any medical or other system could have detected them.
Why compare these events at all?
Because the aviation community asks what followed Germanwings: could screening have prevented this? Our answer in 2015 was that perfect screening is impossible and that policy should not be driven by one dramatic event. That still holds.
But we may be asking the wrong question. If FZ1073 proves to be terrorism, aeromedical screening was never the relevant safeguard. If it proves to be a personal crisis, the useful question is whether the normally functioning pilot had a safe way to seek help before it reached that point. Either way, the lessons of the last eleven years probably concern disclosure more than detection.
| Germanwings 9525 | Horizon Air 2059 | Flydubai FZ1073 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Date and aircraft | March 24, 2015 Airbus A320 | October 22, 2023 Embraer E175, Everett to San Francisco | September 30, 2026 Boeing 737 MAX 8, Dubai to Tel Aviv |
| Who | Co-pilot, age 27 | Off-duty pilot riding the jumpseat | Co-pilot, per reports |
| What happened | Co-pilot locked the captain out and deliberately flew into the French Alps. | Tried to pull the engine fire-suppression handles. On-duty crew subdued him and diverted to Portland. | Co-pilot allegedly stabbed the captain and tried to crash the aircraft. Passengers and crew subdued him. |
| Cockpit door | Reinforced door kept the captain and crew out. | Pilot was already inside as the jumpseat occupant. | Passengers entered the cockpit and overpowered the attacker. |
| Other pilots | Captain locked out. | Captain and first officer on duty and intervened. | Two off-duty pilots aboard as passengers. Who landed is disputed. |
| Outcome | 150 killed. | Engine power was not lost. The pilot received time served and three years of supervised release in November 2025. | No passenger injuries reported. Landed at Tabuk. Flydubai suspended flights to and from Israel. |
| Motive or cause | French investigators documented a history of depression and an undisclosed relapse. | Pilot attributed it to depression, sleep deprivation and recent psilocybin use. | Unknown. Israeli officials call it an attempted terror attack. Others reportedly weigh a suicide attempt. The airline urges caution. |
| Screening relevance | Held a waiver for a 2008–09 depressive episode. At least six doctors saw him in the final four months and none notified the airline. | Pilot later co-founded a nonprofit helping pilots seek care without fear of losing their certificates. | Unknown. None should be assumed. |
Shaded cells mark open questions. Sources are listed at the end of this article.
The FAA pathway today: HIMS and the Antidepressant Protocol
Our 2015 series described how pilots are screened. It did not describe how a pilot who needs treatment can keep flying safely. That pathway now exists and has changed substantially.
From SSRI program to Antidepressant Protocol
The FAA added Wellbutrin on 5/31/2023 and expanded the list of acceptable medications on 4/24/2024. The program now reaches beyond SSRIs and is called the Antidepressant Protocol.
Who may be considered
Eligible diagnoses include mild to moderate major depressive disorder, dysthymic disorder and adjustment disorder with depressed mood. The applicant must be on one acceptable medication, not a combination, and be clinically stable on a stable dose without significant side effects. Psychosis, suicidal ideation, electroconvulsive therapy, concurrent SSRIs and multi-drug psychiatric regimens remain exclusionary.
The FAA's December 3, 2025 AME Guide revision reduced the required stable-dose period before a Special Issuance package may be submitted from six months to three (see our AME Guide update) and the latest (as of Sep 2026) FAA FAQ updates.
The sequence for a pilot
- Stay grounded until authorized. A pilot should not fly under 14 CFR 61.53 until the FAA grants an authorization.
- Engage a HIMS AME early. An ordinary AME cannot issue a certificate to a pilot on these medications. The FAA decides case by case.
- Assemble the records. The HIMS AME needs the pilot's full treatment records, however old.
- Submit after the stability period. The HIMS AME reviews and certifies the package as complete.
- Expect ongoing follow-up. HIMS AME evaluations and treating-psychiatrist reports continue every six months.
- If the pilot stops the medication, the AME defers. Regular issuance requires at least 60 days off the drug and a favorable report from the treating physician.
Why this belongs in a Germanwings comparison
Andreas Lubitz also held a waiver, issued after a severe depressive episode in 2008–09. The system knew his history. It did not know about his relapse. At least six doctors saw him in the four months before the crash and none informed the airline or authorities, and he withheld information because he feared losing his license. A waiver is only as good as the disclosure that feeds it.
The Bureau d'Enquêtes et d'Analyses pour la sécurité de l'aviation civile (BEA) is the official authority responsible for the 2015 Germanwings safety investigation and other French civil aviation accidents, and they recommended peer support programs, loss-of-income insurance for pilots who self-report, and more frequent monitoring of pilots with mental-health histories, such as quarterly rather than annual. Lubitz was certified in Germany under European rules, so this is a contrast in design and not a verdict on any one system.
The FAA's own diagnosis
In April 2024 an FAA rulemaking committee delivered 24 recommendations. It named seven barriers that keep pilots and controllers from seeking care: industry culture, lack of trust, fear of losing certification, stigma, financial concerns, a complicated certification process and knowledge gaps. It also recommended a non-punitive pathway for disclosing mental-health conditions and treatment.
That is the thread connecting the three cases. Germanwings showed what happens when a pilot hides a condition. In the Horizon case, the pilot went on to help build a route to care that does not cost pilots their careers. A shorter wait and a defined HIMS route are the FAA's attempt to make treatment compatible with flying.
Next waypoint
The next sections (not yet published) will revisit Part 4, pilot medical privacy, and Part 5, the doctor's duty to warn, from the original series in light of what the BEA recommended and what has or has not changed since.
Sources
BEA final report coverage (2016); AP and AvWeb coverage of the Horizon case; Reuters, US FAA, AirlineGeeks, FNC, CBC and CNN reporting on FZ1073, September 30, 2026.