Passengers aboard Flydubai flight FZ1073 helped overpower a co-pilot after a violent cockpit incident sent the aircraft into a rapid descent before an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia.
Passengers aboard a Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv have described how they helped overpower a co-pilot during a violent cockpit incident that sent the aircraft into a sudden and dramatic descent.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the co-pilot had allegedly stabbed the captain and appeared to be attempting to crash the aircraft. However, the precise motive behind the incident has not yet been officially established. Flydubai has urged against speculation while authorities investigate.
During the incident, flight FZ1073 rapidly lost thousands of feet of altitude, triggering panic among passengers.
Israeli passenger Yaniv Hayun later told Netanyahu that he and other passengers forced their way into the cockpit after realizing something was seriously wrong. They found one pilot injured and the other allegedly interfering with the aircraft’s controls.
Hayun said he and several other passengers restrained the suspected attacker before additional Flydubai pilots who were travelling aboard the aircraft reached the cockpit and took control.
Reuters reported that passengers and crew subdued the co-pilot, allowing another pair of Flydubai pilots on board to safely divert the aircraft to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
The injured captain was taken for medical treatment, while Saudi authorities detained the co-pilot for questioning. Flydubai confirmed that an altercation had occurred on the flight deck and said the aircraft landed safely, with all passengers and crew accounted for.
Passengers were later flown from Saudi Arabia to Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, where several described the incident as terrifying and said they had feared the aircraft would crash.
Israeli officials have described the incident in security terms, but Flydubai said the underlying reasons and motives remain unknown pending a formal investigation.