A Flydubai flight travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv was forced to make an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday after an incident involving the aircraft’s pilots left passengers fearing the plane could crash.
Flight FZ 1073, a Boeing 737 MAX, landed safely at Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia. Flydubai said all passengers were safe and accounted for following what it described as an “incident” during the flight.
What happened aboard the Flydubai flight?
According to an AFP report citing passenger Miryam Shira Ohayon, one of the pilots allegedly attacked the other with a knife while the aircraft was flying over Jordan.
Ohayon said the situation quickly became chaotic and that the aircraft appeared to lose altitude during the incident. She described the plane as being “pretty much out of control” and said passengers feared it was heading toward a crash.
Flight-tracking data cited in reports showed the aircraft descending sharply, from nearly 34,000 feet to below 17,000 feet within roughly a minute.
Ohayon said passengers intervened after the altercation and helped restrain the pilot. She also said a doctor among the passengers provided first aid to the injured crew members.
Passengers feared the plane would crash
Ohayon’s mother, Yasmin Abukasis, separately told AFP that her daughter called her after the aircraft landed in Saudi Arabia.
According to Abukasis, passengers heard shouting before one passenger went toward the cockpit and saw blood. Other passengers then intervened and restrained the person involved.
She said passengers believed they were going to die as the aircraft rapidly descended.
Two pilots were reportedly among the passengers, and Israeli media reports said they helped take control of the aircraft and assist with the emergency landing.
Emergency codes raised hijacking concerns
Israeli media reports said the aircraft initially transmitted squawk code 7700, the international emergency code used for a general emergency.
The aircraft was then reportedly switched to squawk 7500, which indicates unlawful interference or a hijacking situation, before returning to the emergency code.
Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir described the incident as an attempted “terrorist” attack. However, the circumstances and motive remain subject to investigation.
The pilot who allegedly attacked the other crew member was reportedly arrested by Saudi authorities and taken for questioning. Both pilots were also reported to have sustained injuries and were taken to hospital.
Flydubai confirms aircraft landed safely
Flydubai said Flight FZ 1073 “experienced an incident while en route” and subsequently landed safely at Tabuk Airport.
The airline said all passengers were safe and accounted for.
The incident comes amid heightened security concerns surrounding flights to Israel, but authorities have not yet released a complete official account of what occurred inside the cockpit.
