A flydubai passenger jet heading from Dubai to Tel Aviv transmitted emergency signals, including one indicating possible unlawful interference, before landing in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday. Israel’s prime minister’s office said that the incident was not believed to be a hijacking, and officials have pointed to an altercation involving the pilots.
Flight FZ1073, a Boeing 737, diverted over Jordanian airspace towards Saudi Arabia, according to Flightradar24. The aircraft first sent a general emergency signal. Several minutes later it sent a code indicating possible unlawful interference, then reverted to the general emergency code before landing at Saudi Arabia’s Tabuk.
An Israeli official, speaking anonymously, told Reuters that the pilots sent the signals after a physical altercation with each other. Reuters said it was not clear whether either pilot had sent them intentionally.
The Associated Press quoted a regional official briefed on the incident as saying an altercation broke out in the cockpit and apparently involved the pilots. It was not immediately clear what sparked it. Neither agency has reported why the aircraft diverted to Tabuk.
Flydubai confirmed that the flight “experienced an incident” while en route. It said the aircraft had landed safely and that all passengers were “safe and accounted for”. The airline has not commented on the cause.
The operator of Tabuk airport, Cluster2, said both the captain and the first officer were injured and taken to hospital. It did not say how they were hurt. The airport received a distress call requesting an emergency landing at 8:44 a.m local time, and the plane landed just over an hour later, CNN reported.
Flightradar24 data showed the aircraft losing more than 17,000 feet in under two minutes from a cruising altitude of 34,000 feet, with its altitude fluctuating significantly afterwards.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held consultations on the matter, his office said, adding that the situation was “under control”. A spokesperson said the incident was not considered a kidnapping.
Update:
Later in the day, Israel's prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that one of the pilots stabbed the other. He said that a "serious security incident" occurred on a Dubai-to-Israel flight when one pilot allegedly stabbed the other and attempted to interfere with the aircraft’s systems. A passenger and crew member reportedly entered the cockpit, restrained the pilot, and helped prevent the plane from crashing. Another crew member then helped stabilise the aircraft.
This is a developing story and will be updated with further details as they are confirmed.
