The incident occurred on a Flydubai flight from the United Arab Emirates to Israel
Credit: Fabrizio Gandolfo/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty; Fotogramma/ROPI via ZUMA Press
NEED TO KNOW
- Flydubai Flight FZ1073 diverted to Saudi Arabia after issuing emergency and hijacking signals en route to Tel Aviv after a “violent incident” between the pilots
- All 150 passengers landed safely at Tabuk Airport as authorities investigate the alleged attack
- Flight data showed the Boeing 737 made several sharp descents during the midair incident
A plane traveling from the United Arab Emirates to Tel Aviv, Israel, was diverted to Saudi Arabia after a “violent incident” between two pilots, according to reports.
At around 9 a.m. local time on Wednesday, Sept. 30, Flydubai Flight FZ1073 issued a hijacking signal in Israel, alerting the local authorities. Half an hour later, the aircraft disappeared from tracking systems for several minutes before reappearing as it diverted itself, Reuters, CNN and the Israeli outlet N12 reported.
The airline confirmed that the plane “experienced an incident while en route,” before making a safe landing at Tabuk Airport at around 10 a.m. All 150 passengers aboard the Boeing 737 plane were uninjured, per the outlets.
“Our teams are working closely with the relevant authorities. Further updates will be issued as additional confirmed details become available,” a Flydubai spokesperson added.
Credit: GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP via Getty
An Israeli official told N12 that one of the pilots allegedly “stabbed” their co-pilot before trying to “hijack the plane” and “crash it.”
“The plane started to dive, and a team of pilots who were present there took control of the stabber and the plane – a dramatic disaster was averted,” they said.
The co-pilot who carried out the alleged attack is of Omani origin, per N12. The condition of the injured co-pilot is unknown at this time.
The plane took a sharp nosedive two hours and fifteen minutes into the flight, dropping from 34,000 to around 17,000 feet in under a minute, The Times of Israel reported. Passengers onboard tried to intervene in the attack and prevent the co-pilot from crashing the plane, per the outlet.
Credit: Fotogramma/ROPI via ZUMA Press
According to the flight-tracking website FlightRadar24, the aircraft made a “sharp descent” three times during the incident, before centering its altitude at approximately 15,000 feet. The plane’s ground speed “varied significantly throughout the rest of the flight.”
The plane initially sent out a “general emergency” signal while flying along the Saudi-Jordanian border. Seven minutes later, a hijacking signal was issued as it flew west, briefly entering Jordanian airspace before turning back toward Tabuk. The alert then changed back to a general emergency signal.
Photos released by local media show passengers covered with blood aboard the aircraft. A video posted on X shows frightened passengers crying in their seats after the plane plunged in the air.
One passenger told The Times of Israel, “Someone shouted ‘stabbing’ and my husband immediately understood what was happening and rushed to the front of the plane, and along with other Israelis they neutralized the terrorist.”
“There were stabbings and a lot of blood,” she added.
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Authorities are investigating the incident and the co-pilot’s alleged attack.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement on Facebook, “The incident is under control, and all measures are currently being deployed in order to return the Israeli passengers safely to Israel.”
PEOPLE has reached out to Flydubai, Tabuk Airport and Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs for comment.
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