Israeli officials say a pilot stabbed a colleague and tried to bring down a Tel Aviv-bound flydubai jet. The airline confirms a cockpit altercation and a safe landing in Saudi Arabia but says the motives are still unknown.
Israeli officials say a flydubai pilot stabbed another pilot and tried to crash a Tel Aviv-bound flight Wednesday before passengers and crew intervened and the jet landed safely in Saudi Arabia.
Flydubai confirmed that an altercation broke out on the flight deck of Flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv. Other flydubai crew members traveling aboard secured the aircraft, diverted it and landed it safely at Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia, the airline said in a statement reported by ARN News Centre.
The Dubai-based carrier said the reasons and motives behind the altercation remain unknown and are subject to a formal investigation. The airline urged all parties not to speculate while authorities gather the facts.
Ambassador Daniel Meron of Israel’s permanent mission in Geneva told Reuters that 169 Israeli nationals were among the 172 passengers. Flydubai said all passengers are safe and accounted for, and a plane carrying passengers from the diverted flight arrived in Israel Wednesday evening, The Associated Press reported.
Israel is already responding. Doron Spielman, a spokesperson for the Israeli prime minister’s office, told Reuters the country would strengthen security checks on pilots flying into Israel. What set off the confrontation, what weapon was used and how it got aboard had not been established as of Wednesday.
What Israeli officials say happened aboard the flydubai jet
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said one pilot stabbed the other and apparently tried to crash the aircraft. He credited passengers and crew with stepping in and said Saudi authorities arrested a pilot after the landing.
Netanyahu drew in part on the account of a passenger he had spoken with. Israeli officials said an additional flight crew aboard took control of the jet. The arrest he described had not been independently confirmed by Saudi authorities as of Wednesday.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz went further, alleging that the attacker meant to bring the plane down.
“According to our preliminary information, the terrorist had a single objective: to crash the plane,” Katz said.
The terrorism label and the conclusion about intent are Katz’s own. Flydubai has not established a motive, and no investigative finding on intent has been released.
Israeli accounts of how passengers reached the cockpit differ. Spielman told Reuters that the wounded captain unlocked the cockpit door, which allowed passengers to get in and subdue the attacker.
“At that moment, some of the passengers that realised something was happening raced forward, entered the pilot’s cabin. They saw the injured pilot on the ground, and the other … the attacking pilot was standing over the control panel, bashing the control panel,” Spielman said.
Spielman was not identified as having been on the flight. Netanyahu, citing a passenger, said passengers and a crew member broke into the cockpit.
Passengers describe a jet dropping in stages
Almog Italie, a passenger on Flight FZ1073, told Reuters the airplane lost altitude in bursts.
“It was dropping like for 20, 30 seconds, and then balanced, and then started dropping again, and balanced again, and then we saw that (there) are people in the front, directly (in front of ) the cockpit,” Italie said.
Italie added: “Crew members and passengers from the front of the airplane took over and got control of the two pilots.”
Published accounts of the descent differ. Reuters, citing a Flightradar24 playback, reported that the jet was cruising at 34,000 feet and then dropped more than 14,000 feet in 30 seconds. The AP described a descent from 33,000 feet to 17,000 feet in about a minute.
Reuters said it verified an onboard video showing the aftermath, including two wounded men on the floor. The footage was not reported to show the initial attack, and the identities of the men in it came from voices on the recording.
The Flightradar24 playback also shows the jet heading west over Saudi Arabia, descending sharply and turning northwest. The aircraft briefly crossed into Jordan, then returned to Saudi airspace before landing at Tabuk.
Distress call, diversion and injured pilots
Flightradar24’s history for the aircraft, a Boeing 737 MAX 8 registered A6-FKF, lists its departure from Dubai International Airport at 03:05 UTC, 20 minutes after its scheduled 02:45 UTC departure. The flight was bound for Ben Gurion International Airport.
Tabuk’s Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Airport said it received a distress call at 8:44 a.m. local time and that the plane landed safely at 9:45 a.m., according to the AP. The airport said the captain and first officer were injured and taken to the hospital.
The pilots’ current condition and the injured captain’s own account had not been confirmed as of Wednesday. No response from the accused pilot or a representative had been reported as of Wednesday.
Airline response and passengers’ return
Flydubai, the trading name of Dubai Aviation Corporation, said it sent two replacement aircraft to Tabuk and that the incident did not affect the rest of its scheduled network. The airline said its teams are working closely with the relevant authorities.
Italie described the scene after landing, while passengers were still waiting in Tabuk.
“It was quite scary, but not for long. Most of the passengers kept calm and were very supportive to each other. And when then we landed in Saudi Arabia, which we got a very very warm welcome with a lot of medical staff and food and anything we needed, and we’re waiting for the flight back to Tel Aviv,” Italie said.
Emirati media outlets reported late Wednesday on a statement attributed to the United Arab Emirates’ General Civil Aviation Authority. That statement had not been independently confirmed.
Israel moves to tighten pilot checks
When Israel’s stronger checks on pilots would begin, and what they would require, had not been confirmed as of Wednesday.
Aviation security specialists who spoke to Reuters described how pilots are vetted and who is responsible for it.
“Every pilot goes through extensive background checks but also continuous medical and psychological assessments,” said Philip Baum, a visiting professor of aviation security at Coventry University in Britain.
“It’s always the airline’s responsibility,” said Eric Schouten, head of aviation intelligence consultancy Dyami.
Their comments addressed pilot vetting in general, not the records of the pilots on Flight FZ1073.
Key Takeaways
- Israeli officials allege a flydubai pilot stabbed another pilot and tried to crash Flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv on Wednesday.
- Flydubai confirms a flight deck altercation and says other crew members traveling aboard landed the jet safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
- The airline says the motives remain unknown and subject to a formal investigation.
- Tabuk’s airport said the captain and first officer were injured. Passengers later arrived in Israel.
- Israel says it will strengthen security checks on pilots flying into the country.