The plan was for Flight FZ1073 to land safely in Tel Aviv. Instead, the co-pilot stabbed the captain with a pocketknife. The plane dove 17,000 feet in mid-air. Passengers heard screams just an hour before landing. This was a terrorist attack attempt that nearly killed everyone on board.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed the violence. He stated that "almost all" of the passengers were Israelis. A passenger and a crew member broke into the cockpit. They stopped the pilot as he tried to crash the plane. Another crew member then stabilized the aircraft. The plane diverted to Saudi Arabia for an emergency landing.
Passenger Miriam told i24 News what she saw inside the cabin. She remarked that roughly one to two hours prior to touchdown, screams began emanating from the aircraft. Miriam described the scene after the door opened. i24 News received the account that screams were heard, the cockpit was opened, and large quantities of blood were discovered from an individual who attempted to kill the pilot using a pocketknife. Then the plane lost control.
The distress call came in at 8:44 a.m. local time. Cluster2, a Saudi aviation company, received the call from the flight carrying 180 people. At 9:45 a.m., the plane touched down safely; Cluster2 reported that the flight arrived at 09:45 local time, revealing injuries to the captain and first officer who were promptly sent to a hospital for essential medical treatment.
Defense Minister Israel Katz called it a "jihadist terrorist attack attempt." Netanyahu spoke with the Israeli passenger who stormed the cockpit. The passenger claimed the aircraft entered a spin and began diving. Netanyahu praised the bravery of those who acted.
He further noted that they prevented a major catastrophe and saved numerous lives. Israeli officials suspect the incident was a hijacking. An Israeli military official informed NBC News that they have not eliminated the possibility of a terror attack. The co-pilot is now being interrogated by Saudi authorities. The nationality of the pilots remains unclear.
A new flight has taken off to bring the stranded passengers home. Saudi medics tended to the passengers after they landed. Videos posted on social media show the passengers being helped. According to reports, several passengers and additional crew members assisted in landing the plane. The initial information suggests the terrorist had one intention.
The airline confirmed the incident happened on September 30. FlyDubai stated the flight experienced an incident while en route from Dubai to Tel Aviv. The Washington Examiner reported these details from the Israeli officials. The safety of air travel depends on the vigilance of those on board. These passengers and crew members acted when no one else could. They stopped a major disaster before it could happen.