By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
A Flydubai flight carrying more than 170 people from Dubai to Tel Aviv landed safely in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday after a violent confrontation inside the cockpit sent the Boeing 737 into a steep descent, triggered emergency signals associated with a possible hijacking and prompted Israel to scramble fighter jets.
The incident aboard Flight FZ1073 was initially reported as a fight between the pilots, but later accounts from passengers and Israeli officials described a far more serious sequence of events: One pilot allegedly stabbed the other before the aircraft suddenly lost altitude, passengers and crew intervened, and off-duty pilots aboard the flight helped regain control.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later said Saudi authorities had arrested the pilot accused of stabbing the other pilot and apparently trying to crash the aircraft. The motive remained under investigation Wednesday.
The Flydubai Boeing 737 had departed Dubai International Airport bound for Ben Gurion International Airport when the emergency unfolded roughly two and a half hours into the flight.
Flight-tracking information from Flightradar24 showed the aircraft cruising at approximately 34,000 feet before beginning a violent series of altitude changes. It descended rapidly toward approximately 15,000 feet, climbed sharply and then descended again as its speed also fluctuated.
The aircraft began transmitting transponder code 7700, the internationally recognized signal for a general emergency. Minutes later, it switched to code 7500, which indicates unlawful interference with an aircraft and is commonly associated with hijacking situations, before eventually returning to the general emergency code.
The sudden signals immediately raised alarm in Israel.
Israeli fighter jets were launched as authorities attempted to determine whether the aircraft had been hijacked, according to a CNN report. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz also held security consultations as the incident developed.
The aircraft ultimately diverted to Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Tabuk, northwestern Saudi Arabia, instead of continuing to Tel Aviv.
Accounts from inside the aircraft indicated that the trouble began with screams and an altercation toward the front of the cabin.
Passengers speaking by telephone with Israel’s Channel 12 said they heard shouting near the cockpit before the aircraft suddenly began losing altitude, according to an Associated Press report.
The plunge sent passengers into panic as the plane appeared to be losing control.
One passenger, speaking to Israel Hayom, described the moments when those aboard realized something was seriously wrong.
“We understood the pilots lost control,” she said, recalling screams throughout the cabin as the aircraft descended.
Passengers then learned that one of the pilots had suffered serious stab wounds during the confrontation.
“There are people here with shirts covered in blood,” the passenger said.
She later added: “Now we are fine and want to return home.”
Images and footage from aboard the aircraft showed the aftermath of the incident, including bloodied clothing and passengers gathered near the front of the plane.
Accounts from those aboard indicated that passengers rushed toward the cockpit after learning a man had a knife. Several people helped restrain one of the pilots and remove the immediate threat.
One Israeli passenger told journalists that members of the crew called for assistance and that passengers responded by helping overpower one of the pilots and tie him down.
Off-duty pilots traveling aboard the flight then helped take control of the aircraft, according to passenger accounts. Those aboard said their intervention was crucial after the cockpit crew had been incapacitated or injured.
The aircraft’s rapid descent was dramatic. Flight data showed it losing roughly 17,000 feet during the initial emergency sequence before leveling at a substantially lower altitude and continuing toward Saudi Arabia.
The BBC reported that the flight first transmitted the general emergency signal before changing several minutes later to the signal indicating unlawful interference. The code later reverted to the original emergency designation.
It was not immediately clear who entered the emergency codes.
Saudi officials said both the captain and first officer were injured and taken to a hospital after the landing. Passengers were safe and accounted for.
Flydubai confirmed that FZ1073 had experienced an incident while traveling from Dubai to Ben Gurion Airport and had landed safely in Tabuk.
“Our teams are working closely with the relevant authorities,” the airline said.
The carrier said the safety and welfare of passengers and crew remained its priority as authorities investigated what happened aboard the aircraft.
Early information described the incident simply as a physical altercation between the pilots. Israeli officials later said their assessment was that the co-pilot had stabbed the captain and that the episode may have been an attempted attack rather than an ordinary dispute between crew members.
Israeli officials said the cabin crew entered the cockpit and helped take control of the situation. Passenger accounts also credited Israelis aboard the aircraft with helping subdue the alleged attacker.
The incident caused confusion during its early stages because the available emergency signals were consistent with a possible hijacking while Israeli officials initially said the circumstances appeared to involve a different type of onboard emergency.
As additional testimony emerged, Israeli authorities began investigating whether the episode represented an attempted terrorist attack targeting a plane carrying Israelis.
Netanyahu’s office initially said the situation was under control and that Israeli authorities were working to return the passengers home from Saudi Arabia.
Netanyahu later described the sequence of events, saying one pilot stabbed another, the aircraft was placed in danger, people aboard intervened and Saudi authorities took the suspect into custody.
The emergency created an unusual diplomatic situation because Saudi Arabia and Israel do not maintain formal diplomatic relations.
Saudi Arabia has, however, permitted Israeli commercial aircraft to use its airspace since 2022 and has previously allowed emergency landings involving Israeli passengers.
Flight FZ1073 landed in Tabuk without reported injuries among the passengers despite the cockpit violence and rapid altitude loss.
The incident remained under investigation Wednesday, including the alleged attacker’s motive, the precise sequence inside the cockpit and how the aircraft was ultimately stabilized.
What began as reports of a “brawl” between two pilots had, within hours, developed into an investigation of an alleged cockpit stabbing and an apparent attempt to bring down an airliner carrying scores of Israeli travelers.
Original article
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