Pilot allegedly tried to crash Flydubai flight; passengers and crew regain control, plane diverts to Tabuk

A Flydubai flight bound for Tel Aviv was forced to divert and make an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, after an alleged attempt by one pilot to crash the aircraft, passengers and officials said.

What happened in the air

Flight FZ 1703 departed Dubai at 0305 GMT. A little over two hours into the flight, the aircraft experienced a sudden and steep loss of altitude: data from Flightradar24 showed the plane fell from nearly 34,000 feet at 0521 GMT to less than 17,000 feet at 0522 GMT.

The aircraft transmitted a general emergency signal at 0531 GMT, and media reports said it sent a code reporting a hijacking at 0538 GMT. Israel’s public broadcaster Kan and Channel 12 reported that the Israeli military scrambled fighter jets after initial fears of a hijacking.

Altercation in the cockpit and passenger intervention

Passengers described chaos on board. One passenger, Miryam Shira Ohayon, said the plane began to spin “pretty much out of control.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later said that one pilot had stabbed the other in an attempt to take over and crash the plane.

According to Israeli officials, other passengers entered the cockpit and overpowered the pilot who allegedly tried to take control. Israeli officials said another crew member who was travelling on the plane was then given command and flew the aircraft.

Landing in Tabuk and aftermath

The flydubai aircraft landed in the northern Saudi town of Tabuk “at 9:45 am (0645 GMT)”, according to a statement from the company operating the airport. The statement said the flight’s captain and copilot were found to have injuries and were transported to hospital.

Passengers posted footage from the plane, including images of an Israeli man with blood on his hand pleading for help, according to the reports.

The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the incident was “under control” and praised those on board who “prevented a major disaster.” Netanyahu said Saudi authorities had arrested the co-pilot, who was being interrogated.

Official characterisations and next steps for passengers

Israeli minister Katz described the event as an “attempted jihadist terror attack“, according to the reports.

After receiving medical attention in Tabuk, passengers boarded a different plane that departed to carry them to their original destination, Tel Aviv.

Key timeline

• 0305 GMT Flight FZ 1703 departs Dubai.
• 0521–0522 GMT Altitude drops from ~34,000 ft to under 17,000 ft.
• 0531 GMT General emergency signal transmitted.
• 0538 GMT Code reporting a hijacking transmitted.
• 0645 GMT (9:45 am local) Aircraft lands in Tabuk; captain and copilot taken to hospital.

The account above is drawn from reporting by AFP as published by IOL.