A pilot brawl, then a rapid descent: passengers recount chaos on flydubai flight
Flydubai Flight Diverted After Cockpit Emergency
Bdbusinessdaily.com – A pilot brawl then a rapid descent left more than 170 Israeli passengers on flydubai flight FZ1073 facing a frightening emergency during a journey from Dubai to Tel Aviv. The aircraft was diverted and landed safely at Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia after an alleged violent confrontation in the cockpit.
Passengers said the plane suddenly lost altitude while people near the front of the cabin and crew members moved toward the cockpit. Israeli officials alleged that the co-pilot attacked and stabbed the captain in an apparent attempt to cause the aircraft to crash.
Aircraft Loses Altitude Over Saudi Arabia
Flight-tracking information showed the aircraft flying west over Saudi Arabia at about 34,000 feet before dropping more than 14,000 feet in roughly 30 seconds. It later altered course, briefly entered Jordanian airspace, returned over Saudi Arabia and continued toward Tabuk.
Passenger Almog Italie initially thought the dramatic movements were caused by severe turbulence. He later realised that the emergency involved activity close to the cockpit.
“It was dropping like for 20, 30 seconds, and then balanced, and then started dropping again, and balanced again, and then we saw that there are people in the front, directly in front of the cockpit,” Italie said.
Italie said passengers and cabin crew at the front of the aircraft intervened during the incident and managed to restrain the two pilots. He said the sharp loss of altitude was terrifying, but passengers largely remained calm and helped one another.
Passengers Enter Cockpit During Alleged Attack
Doron Spielman, spokesperson for the Israeli prime minister’s office, said the captain was injured and lying on the cockpit floor. According to Spielman, the captain opened the cockpit door, allowing passengers who understood that something was wrong to enter.
“At that moment, some of the passengers that realised something was happening raced forward, entered the pilot’s cabin,” Spielman said.
Spielman said the passengers found the injured captain on the floor and the alleged attacker at the controls, striking the control panel. He said a passenger then subdued the co-pilot.
Video from inside the plane showed the aftermath, including two bloodied men on the floor. Voices speaking Hebrew identified one man as the pilot who had allegedly been attacked and the other as the alleged attacker. The second man wore epaulettes with three stripes, indicating that he was a co-pilot.
Reserve Crew Completes Diversion
A flydubai reserve crew member or team travelling on the flight took control and completed the diversion to Tabuk, according to a flydubai spokesperson. The airline said the cause of the incident had not been established and urged people not to draw conclusions before the circumstances were fully examined.
Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz praised those who entered the cockpit, saying their intervention prevented a possible disaster and enabled an additional crew to regain control of the aircraft.
“According to our preliminary information, the terrorist had a single objective: to crash the plane,” Katz said.
After the safe landing in Saudi Arabia, medical staff assisted passengers and provided food and other support as they awaited arrangements to continue to Tel Aviv. Italie described the welcome in Tabuk as warm and said passengers received what they needed.
FAQ: What Happened on the Dubai to Tel Aviv Flight?
What is known about the incident? Passengers and Israeli officials described an alleged confrontation between the pilots, followed by a sudden descent and a diversion to Tabuk Airport. Flydubai said the reasons behind the event had not yet been established.
Did the flydubai aircraft land safely? Yes. The flight landed safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, where passengers received medical attention, food and support.
Why is the incident described as a pilot brawl then a rapid descent? The phrase reflects passenger accounts of an alleged cockpit confrontation followed by the aircraft’s steep loss of altitude while flying over Saudi Arabia.