Flydubai Plunges 18,000 Feet After What Happened In Cockpit

By
Mark Stevens
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A Flydubai passenger jet made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, according to RedState. The plane was heading from Dubai to Tel Aviv when trouble started. Reports indicate the copilot stabbed the pilot during the flight. The attack forced the aircraft into a steep, terrifying dive. Other crew members managed to enter the cockpit and take control. They eventually brought the plane down safely in Tabuk.

Israeli officials scrambled fighter jets in case the incident was a hijacking. The plane carried roughly 174 to 180 people when the event occurred. Flight data showed the aircraft rapidly descending before turning toward Saudi Arabia. It appears the co-pilot made an attempt to bring down the aircraft along with all passengers.


Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, issued a video statement regarding this occurrence. He confirmed the serious security incident on the flight from Dubai. Netanyahu stated that nearly every person on that flight was an Israeli citizen. He shared details from a passenger who helped stop the attack. A passenger informed him the aircraft started spinning and then began diving.

Netanyahu explained how the brave passengers neutralized the threat. He mentioned another crew member entered the flight deck and successfully stabilized the plane. The attacking pilot was arrested after the plane landed. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz called the event an attempted jihadist terrorist attack. Katz declared that the grave event involving the FlyDubai plane was a thwarted jihadist terrorist act, prevented solely due to the courage of several Israeli travelers.


Katz noted the attacker had a clear goal. According to him, initial data suggests the terrorist aimed to crash the aircraft with all passengers on board. According to reports, the incident possibly originated from a conflict among the pilots. The Jerusalem Post reported that Israel’s security establishment now believes it was an act of terror.

Passengers on board heard screams as the plane suddenly plunged. One passenger told Fox they think the co-pilot stabbed the captain. The captain then fell onto the controls, causing the dive. Netanyahu reported a passenger told him that somehow the individual broke into the cockpit with a crew member, and together they neutralized the stabbing pilot during his attempt to sabotage the plane’s systems.

Approximately an hour and a half into the journey, the plane sent out a general distress signal, code 7700. Shortly thereafter, the code changed to 7500, which signifies unlawful interference. The aircraft subsequently disappeared from flight-tracking applications before resurfacing. Flydubai confirmed the aircraft experienced an incident and landed safely with all passengers accounted for.


Two Israeli officials believe the incident may have been a terror attack. The final determination is still under investigation. Preliminary Israeli accounts suggest an Omani co-pilot attacked the Emirati captain. The airline has not confirmed the specific nationalities of the pilots. All passengers are out of danger following the safe landing in Saudi Arabia.

This dramatic event happened on Flydubai Flight FZ1073, which was a Boeing 737 MAX 8. It was traveling to Ben Gurion Airport when the attack happened. Authorities remain focused on understanding the full scope of the event. The bravery of the passengers likely saved many lives that day.

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