Passengers aboard a flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv recounted scenes of panic, including screams, blood in the cockpit, and a sudden dive, after the aircraft made an emergency landing at Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday. Israeli passengers reportedly helped crew members restrain an attacker during the incident, The Times of Israel reported.
A passenger told Israeli media that those on board heard screams before the cockpit was opened, revealing blood inside, news agency ANI reported.
“We heard screams on the plane. Then they opened the cockpit, and we saw blood, and someone had stabbed the pilot with a pocketknife,” the unnamed woman told the network via text message, according to The Times of Israel.
She said Israeli passengers helped members of the crew restrain the attacker.
“We prayed, ‘Shema Yisrael,’” she said. “There were also moments when we thought we weren’t going to make it out alive.”
Another passenger, who identified herself as Noam, told Channel 12 that passengers realised something was wrong after hearing screams.
“Screams began on the plane, by passengers who realized what was happening. We understand that one of the pilots was stabbed and seriously wounded, and they lost control of the plane. It started to dive quickly. It was very scary,” she said.
The Times of Israel reported that little official information was immediately available, while Israeli officials said an emergency signal appeared to have been issued after a fight apparently broke out between the pilots. The exact circumstances had not been confirmed by flydubai at the time.
Earlier, unconfirmed reports in Hebrew media, based on passenger testimonies, said one pilot had attempted to crash the aircraft and was stopped by the second pilot with the help of passengers. The reports remained unconfirmed and could not be independently verified.
flydubai flight transmits emergency and hijacking codes
Flight FZ1073, carrying a reported 180 passengers, including dozens of Israelis, initially transmitted squawk code 7700, an international emergency signal, before briefly transmitting code 7500, which indicates hijacking or unlawful interference, while flying over Saudi Arabia, according to The Times of Israel.
Israeli Air Force fighter jets were scrambled to intercept the aircraft amid fears of a hijacking after Israeli authorities were unable to establish contact with the plane.
The aircraft later made contact and landed safely at Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia.
The Times of Israel reported that publicly available flight data showed the Boeing 737 MAX had made a sharp descent during the flight, dropping from around 34,000 feet to approximately 17,000 feet in under a minute. The aircraft subsequently recovered partially before descending again and later continued at around 15,000 feet.
Netanyahu monitors developments after aviation incident
The Prime Minister’s Office said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held consultations following concerns over the aviation incident and was monitoring developments.
In a post on X, the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office said, “Following concerns over an aviation incident, Prime Minister Netanyahu held consultations on the matter and is monitoring developments.”
“The incident is under control, and all measures are currently being deployed in order to return the Israeli passengers safely to Israel,” it added.
flydubai confirms incident, says passengers safe
Meanwhile, flydubai confirmed that the aircraft had experienced an incident while en route from Dubai to Tel Aviv.
“flydubai can confirm that flight FZ 1073 operating from Dubai International (DXB) to Ben Gurion International Airport (TLV) on 30 September experienced an incident while en route. The aircraft has landed safely in Tabuk (TUU) and all passengers are safe and accounted for. The safety and well-being of our passengers and crew remain our highest priority,” Israeli media quoted the airline as saying.
“Our teams are working closely with the relevant authorities. Further updates will be issued as additional confirmed details become available,” the airline stated.
Following the emergency landing, flydubai was sending a second aircraft to Tabuk Airport to transport the stranded passengers to Tel Aviv.
The incident remained under investigation, with the airline saying further updates would be issued once additional confirmed details became available.
(With ANI inputs)
flydubai passengers recount screams, blood in cockpit before emergency landing
