An Israel-bound flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv abruptly diverted to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday after a violent cockpit altercation between its two pilots, plunging nearly 14,000 feet before landing safely in Tabuk as security forces scrambled.
Cockpit Altercation and Emergency Descent Over Saudi Airspace
The disturbance aboard flydubai flight FZ1073 began early Wednesday morning, September 30, as the Boeing 737 MAX 8 traveled from Dubai in the United Arab Emirates to Tel Aviv, Israel. Flightradar24 flight-tracking records show that around 1:20 a.m. over northwestern Saudi Arabia, the plane dropped 17,400 feet from an altitude of 34,000 down to roughly 16,600 feet in a span of just over two minutes. Flightradar24 data also showed the aircraft plunged nearly 14,000 feet within 30 seconds.
Saudi Arabia’s Tabuk airport confirmed that the plane landed in Tabuk at 9:45 am (0645 GMT) and its captain and copilot were found to have injuries and were transported to hospital
. Airline tracking logs and regional authorities reported that the jet initially broadcasted code 7700 to indicate a general emergency before changing to code 7500, which denotes unlawful interference or a hijacking. The low-cost carrier had earlier confirmed that flight FZ 1073 experienced an incident while en route. The aircraft has landed safely in Tabuk Airport (TUU) and all passengers are safe and accounted for
. The plane landed in Tabuk, a civilian and military base in the kingdom.
Passenger Accounts of Knives, Blood, and Relief Pilots
Passengers speaking to Israeli media described a harrowing scene inside the cabin as the aircraft lost altitude rapidly. Yasmin Abukasis, mother of passenger Miryam Shira Ohayon, told AFP her daughter called her from Saudi Arabia.
She said one pilot tried to kill the other pilot with a knife. They heard shouting
.
Abukasis added, All the while, the plane started going down very fast. People thought they were going to die.
Another passenger went to the cockpit and saw a lot of blood. She started screaming 'come help' and some people went in and caught the guy
, she added. According to separate accounts from Israeli media outlets, two off-duty pilots traveling as passengers stepped in to pilot the aircraft and execute the emergency landing in Saudi territory.
Security Consultations and the Response in Jerusalem
The erratic flight path and emergency squawks triggered immediate panic and defensive measures in Israel, briefly raising concerns about a possible hijacking and prompting Israel to scramble warplanes. An Israeli military spokesperson told CNN that fighter jets were scrambled after the emergency signal was sent at 1:32 a.m. ET, prompting Israel’s prime minister and defense minister to hold an emergency consultation. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz held a security consultation.
Doron Spielman, a spokesman for the Israeli prime minister’s office, informed Reuters around the time of the touchdown in Saudi Arabia that authorities did not view the event as a hijacking, characterizing it instead as a different incident
. An Israeli official also stated the diversion was not due to a hijacking, but resulted from an internal personnel incident onboard. However, two Israeli officials indicated that the co-pilot allegedly stabbed the captain prior to crew members entering the cockpit to secure the aircraft, leading Israeli authorities to suspect the event could have been a pilot-driven “terror attack”.
Investigation and Repatriation Efforts
The emergency landing in Tabuk brought an uncommon influx of Israeli citizens into Saudi Arabia, a nation that maintains no formal diplomatic ties with Israel. Following a U.S.-backed normalization initiative in 2022, Saudi authorities permitted Israeli airlines and flights headed to Israel to use their airspace. Riyadh says it will not establish diplomatic relations with Israel without an independent Palestinian state. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said that the situation was under control and all measures are now being taken to safely return the Israeli passengers to Israel.
A regional official with knowledge of the matter stated that a physical altercation occurred inside the cockpit involving the flight crew.
The crew have been questioned as part of the investigation,
Regional official
It wasn’t immediately clear what had caused the fight, and the official did not say if anyone had been detained. An Israeli official noted that while the ongoing inquiry has not yet concluded, Israel suspects the event may have been targeted at Israelis.
