A Flydubai flight carrying more than 100 Israeli passengers from Dubai to Tel Aviv was forced to land in Saudi Arabia Wednesday morning after one pilot allegedly stabbed the other, tried to take control of the aircraft and sent the Boeing 737 into a terrifying plunge while passengers rushed toward the cockpit to help stop him.
Flight FZ1073 was about two and a half hours into the trip when something went very wrong. Flight tracking data showed the aircraft suddenly dropping nearly 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds before the crew transmitted a general emergency code. Minutes later the code changed to 7500, indicating unlawful interference with the aircraft, before returning to the original emergency signal. The plane was nowhere near landing and was still approaching Israeli airspace.
Passengers sitting near the front heard screaming coming from the cockpit. Yasmin Abu Kasis told Reuters that her daughter Miriam, who was aboard the flight, saw a man with a knife force one of the pilots onto the floor and saw blood everywhere when the cockpit was opened. Israeli media later published a photograph appearing to show a blood soaked shirt aboard the aircraft, although Reuters was unable to independently verify the image.
By then the aircraft was diving. According to an Israeli passenger who spoke to The Jerusalem Post, one pilot had stabbed the other and was trying to force him out of the cockpit as the plane lost altitude. Israelis sitting near the front rushed forward and fought with the attacker while two other pilots who had been travelling in the rear of the aircraft were initially frozen by what was happening. The passenger said he yelled at them to get to the cockpit and take control of the plane. The attacker was eventually pulled out, the two pilots from the rear were pushed into the cockpit and one of them took control of the aircraft.
The stabbed pilot was described by the passenger as being in critical condition. An Israeli dentist who happened to be aboard reportedly treated him during the emergency and was credited by the passenger with saving his life. Another passenger account carried by Israeli media said there were moments aboard the aircraft when people believed they were going to die.
On the ground, Israel had no idea what it was dealing with. Fighter jets were scrambled toward the aircraft, Israeli airspace was temporarily closed and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened an emergency security meeting as the flight changed course away from Israel. The IDF Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, cancelled a planned trip to the United States while Israeli security agencies tried to determine who was controlling the plane.
The first public explanation was that the pilots had gotten into a fight. That version changed quickly as information from the aircraft began reaching Israeli authorities and the media. An Israeli official told The Jerusalem Post that a “major disaster was narrowly avoided” and said the growing assessment inside the IDF, Mossad and Shin Bet was that the incident had been an attempted act of terror.
An Israeli official told The Jerusalem Post that authorities were examining whether the pilot intended to hijack the aircraft or carry out what was described as a September 11 style attack. The official said that while his final intention remained unclear, Israeli authorities believed he was trying to hijack the plane. Initial Israeli information identified the suspected attacker as possibly being an Omani national, although his identity and nationality have not yet been officially confirmed.
The Boeing eventually diverted to Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Airport in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, where it landed safely. All of the passengers were accounted for, leaving a plane filled with Israelis sitting on Saudi soil after one of the more bizarre and frightening aviation incidents since direct flights began between Israel and the United Arab Emirates following normalization in 2020. Saudi Arabia and Israel still have no formal diplomatic relations.
Flydubai has released almost nothing about what happened inside its cockpit. The airline confirmed only that FZ1073 “experienced an incident” while travelling from Dubai to Ben Gurion Airport, landed safely in Tabuk and that all passengers were safe. It said it was working with the relevant authorities and would release more information once details had been confirmed.
A replacement aircraft was being arranged to bring the passengers to Israel.
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