A co-pilot on a flydubai jet bound for Tel Aviv stabbed the captain in the cockpit, and the plane plunged from 34,000 feet to about 17,000 feet in under a minute before Israeli passengers overpowered him and the jet landed safely in Saudi Arabia. Israeli officials say they believe he was trying to crash the plane with about 180 people on board, and investigators are also examining whether a mental-health episode was behind the attack.
Story Snapshot
- Early Wednesday, September 30, flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv was about two hours and 15 minutes into the trip when the co-pilot, an Omani national, stabbed the Emirati captain.
- The Boeing 737 MAX dropped from 34,000 feet to about 17,000 feet in under a minute.
- Israeli passengers rushed the cockpit and held the co-pilot down, and the plane landed at Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
- The captain was seriously wounded. The airline says all passengers are safe and accounted for.
- Israeli officials say they believe it was an attempt to crash the plane; a mental-health angle is also being examined.
What Happened In The Air
About two hours and 15 minutes after takeoff, the co-pilot attacked the captain with a blade. The jet took a sharp nosedive, falling from 34,000 feet to around 17,000 feet in under a minute, then down to about 15,000 feet. The crew sent out two emergency codes: 7700, for a general emergency, and 7500, the code pilots use to signal a hijacking or other unlawful interference.
Israeli passengers near the front rushed the cockpit and subdued the co-pilot, and one of two extra pilots riding at the back of the plane took the controls, according to reports. “They tried to murder the pilot. We subdued [the attacker],” one witness said. Another passenger put it simply: “Three or four people saved 180 lives.”
What Officials Say About The Motive
Israeli leaders say they believe the co-pilot meant to bring the plane down. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the pilot may have sought to crash the flight. National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir called him “a terrorist who planned to crash a plane and murder the 180 Israelis on board.” Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said, “Whoever tried to crash a plane and murder 180 Israelis must pay as if he murdered.”
Israeli officials say a terror attack is their growing assessment, though they have not called it final. Investigators are also examining whether a mental-health episode was behind the attack. The co-pilot was wounded and taken to a hospital after landing. Flydubai says its teams are “working closely with the relevant authorities.”
Why This Matters To Travelers
Every passenger who boards a plane trusts the two people behind the cockpit door. On this flight, that trust broke at 34,000 feet, and it took passengers and the extra pilots on board to save the plane. The jet landed at Tabuk, a joint civilian and military airport in northwestern Saudi Arabia, where medical help met the aircraft.
“The aircraft has landed safely in Tabuk, and all passengers are safe and accounted for,” flydubai said. “The safety and well-being of our passengers and crew remain our highest priority.” Airlines lock cockpit doors to keep threats out, but this attack started inside the cockpit. It puts fresh attention on how airlines screen the people who sit at the controls.
Sources:
insiderpaper.com, aljazeera.com, news.flydubai.com, the-star.co.ke, israel.com