A Flydubai co-pilot allegedly stabbed the captain and tried to hijack a Tel Aviv-bound flight. Passengers helped subdue him before landing.
A Flydubai co-pilot stabbed the flight’s captain and attempted to hijack the aircraft before Israeli passengers helped subdue him, according to Israeli officials, forcing an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday and prompting Israel to scramble fighter jets. Flydubai Flight FZ1073, a Boeing 737 Max 8 carrying about 180 passengers, was traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv when the aircraft transmitted a “7700” general emergency signal shortly after takeoff and underwent a sharp, sudden descent, dropping roughly 14,125 feet in 29 seconds, according to flight-tracking data reviewed by NBC News.
Israeli officials said they believe the co-pilot, whom Israeli media identified as an Omani national, attacked the captain with a knife in an apparent attempt to seize control of the aircraft, according to a person familiar with the matter cited by The Washington Post. U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee wrote on social media that Israeli passengers aboard the flight helped subdue the co-pilot after he “apparently tried to take over the plane,” adding that the situation could have become “horrific” but that everyone was safe. Flydubai confirmed only that the flight “experienced an incident while en route” and that all passengers were accounted for, without providing further detail. The Jerusalem Post reported, citing an unnamed Israeli official, that a “major disaster was narrowly avoided.”
The aircraft diverted over Jordanian airspace and landed at Tabuk, in northwestern Saudi Arabia, where both the captain and first officer were taken to a hospital for treatment, according to Cluster2, which operates several airports in the country. Israeli officials said they were investigating the possibility that the incident amounted to an attempted terrorist attack, though the full circumstances have not been officially confirmed. Because Saudi Arabia and Israel do not maintain diplomatic relations, Saudi authorities have not permitted Israeli aircraft to collect passengers stranded at Tabuk, and Israeli officials said they were exploring options, including a military or civilian flight, to bring them home. It remained unclear how or when the passengers would be repatriated.
Sources: This report is based on information from CNN, NBC News, CBS News and The Washington Post.