Flydubai pilot attacks colleague with knife on flight to Tel Aviv
A Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia after one pilot attacked the other with a knife; Israeli officials are also investigating whether it was a terrorist act.
What happened
A Flydubai passenger plane flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv was forced to make an emergency landing in the Saudi Arabian city of Tabuk. According to the Russian-language service of Estonian broadcaster ERR, citing several media reports, one of the pilots attacked the other with a knife during the flight and attempted to seize control of the aircraft. A number of outlets report that the attacker is a citizen of Oman.
Timeline
Roughly two and a half hours after departing Dubai International Airport, the Boeing 737 MAX squawked code 7700, signalling an in-flight emergency. Just seven minutes later, the code was changed to 7500 — indicating an attempted hijacking or other unlawful interference. In response, the Israeli Air Force scrambled fighter jets as a precautionary measure.
During the struggle in the cockpit, the aircraft lost altitude rapidly: according to Flightradar24 data, it descended from roughly 10 km to 5 km within two minutes. The Jerusalem Post reports that passengers and crew members managed to subdue the attacker. The landing in Saudi Arabia was carried out by two other pilots who were also on board. The Times of Israel published a photo of the aircraft after landing showing damage to the rudder at the rear of the fuselage.
Investigation
Israeli authorities are examining the possibility that the attacker intended to crash the plane or even carry out an attack resembling the September 11, 2001 events in the United States. Israeli media quoted an unnamed government official as saying that "a major catastrophe was prevented." Further details on the cause of the incident and the identities of those involved have not yet been officially confirmed.
