Co-pilot Stabs Captain on Flydubai Flight; Trump's 'Plumber' Tale Goes Viral in Japan

Why This Topic Landed in Japan

On Flydubai flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Israel, the co-pilot stabbed the captain with a blade in mid-flight. The airline has officially confirmed a safe landing at Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, with passengers unharmed. AP, Reuters and others report a suspected stabbing and attempt to bring the plane down, but the airline has not confirmed the cause, so the "attempted terror" label remains provisional and the motive undetermined. A pilot turning on his own crew inside the cockpit struck at the core of aviation security, and the captain who managed to land while wounded drew admiration. Then a second thread opened: President Trump said, relaying Netanyahu, that an Israeli plumber with no flying experience grabbed the controls and leveled the plane — and the word "plumber" instantly evoked Nintendo's Mario, turning the grim incident comic. The plumber story has no independent confirmation beyond the remark, and plenty of readers doubted it.

Key Reaction Themes

• The plumber as Mario — The most visible reaction recast the "a plumber saved the plane" story as a Nintendo/Mario gag ("thank you, Nintendo").
• Doubt about Trump's account — A smaller group questioned the tale, calling it made-up or something only cult believers would buy.
• Aviation-security worries — "If pilots can be terrorists, it's autopilot only," alongside admiration that the captain landed while stabbed.
• Pulling it back to reality (a few) — Some pushed back that Nintendo has nothing to do with it, or took the plumber story seriously, noting that flying with no experience is frightening or guessing at a flight-simulator hobbyist.

What Japanese Netizens Are Saying

Co-pilot stabs the captain and the plane lands

The co-pilot stabbed the captain mid-flight, and the wounded captain brought the plane down safely.

Sources: dmenu news, 2ch

Comments:

• "If pilots can be terrorists, autopilot is the only option from now on."
• "I feel for the captain, but good thing the passengers were safe — a crash would've been catastrophic."
• "Amazing that he could land after being stabbed."
• "How did they even stop it, lol."
• "Maybe the co-pilot got scared of crashing and actually helped land it too."
• "Ugh, that's genuinely terrifying — can't casually travel abroad anymore."
• "I feel like I've seen this in some American drama... never thought it'd happen for real."
• "If the co-pilot was serious about crashing it, stopping him would be the harder part — they were lucky to survive."
• "I saw on X that they got into the cockpit with an access code to rescue him."
• "Maybe flights to Islamic countries have air marshals on board, so they could handle it?"
• "I feel like there was a crash in the past where a co-pilot tried to kill himself."
• "If a pilot does this to you, there's no stopping it — how do you even prevent this going forward?"
• "Wait, passengers instantly sensed what was happening, came into the cockpit, and helped? What a situation."
• "Flip it around and if the co-pilot and captain teamed up, they could pull off terror, lol."

Trump's "a plumber saved it" remark

President Trump said the plane was saved by an Israeli plumber with no flying experience.

Sources: livedoor News

Comments:

• "No way — Nintendo is the best."
• "Another heartwarming Nintendo tale."
• "Thank you, Nintendo."
• "Mario's influence is incredible."
• "Right. The mastermind was the plumber all along."
• "Nintendo's PR muscle, getting even Trump to tell a heartwarming Nintendo story — isn't that insane?"
• "Only cult believers would buy this, lol."
• "Nintendo has nothing to do with it."
• "He did it with no flying experience? Isn't that terrifying?"
• "Maybe someone who'd built up experience on a flight simulator."
• "How on earth did they land it?"
• "A heartwarming Nintendo tale always shows up right when they've got no game releases lined up, doesn't it."