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Israel-bound flight diverted after pilots brawl – reports
Israel-bound flight diverted after pilots brawl – reports
One of the crew members allegedly tried to crash the plane following a knife attack in the cockpit Published 30 Sep, 2026 09:35 | Updated 30 Sep, 2026 10:46FILE PHOTO. Fly Dubai commercial airline passenger airplane. © Getty Images / CatEyePerspectiveA FlyDubai passenger liner carrying hundreds of people to Tel Aviv went into a death-dive over Saudi Arabia, before landing in Tabuk in northern Saudi Arabia, following a ‘violent incident’ onboard, according to FlyDubai.
The Boeing 737 was reportedly carrying 174 passengers, including 27 children. About two hours into the flight, the aircraft transmitted emergency signals, including a code indicating possible hijacking, according to flight-tracking service Flightradar24. The plane went into a steep dive, losing some 4,500 meters in altitude in a minute, according to tracking data
Israel scrambled fighter jets, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held urgent security consultations.
FlyDubai later confirmed that the aircraft landed at Tabuk airport in northwestern Saudi Arabia and that all passengers were safe. It said a replacement aircraft would take them onward to Israel.
Widely conflicting reports as to the chain of events on board and the identity of the pilots are currently circulating.
Russia’s General Consulate in Dubai has dismissed reports that one of the pilots was Russian, stating that there were no Russian citizens on board the flight.
According to the latest but still unconfirmed media reports, the pilots are believed to be of Arab and Indian descent.
Some outlets have also claimed that one of the pilots has died from his wounds.
Flight tracking data shows the plane made a sudden descent after the co-pilot allegedly forced it into a dive after attacking the captain. The airliner dropped a whopping 4,500 meters in nearly half a minute, at a speed of over 900km/h.
🚨🇮🇱 The TERRIFYING plunge of the FlyDubai flight...A flight carrying 174 people, including 27 children, dropped 14,125 feet in just 29 seconds (!!) this AM.The co-pilot allegedly forced the aircraft into a dive after attacking the captain, before passengers and crew… https://t.co/cA7mV6GypR
The rapid drop appeared to have damaged the plane’s tail, according to unconfirmed photos said to have been taken after it managed to land safely in Tabuk.
Footage shows flydubai aircraft grounded in Saudi Arabia pic.twitter.com/fJYziNIW3m
One of the passengers of the flight shared his testimony from the plane, describing how the altercation started and how the passengers intervened.
Passenger testimony from the Flydubai flight: pic.twitter.com/1bcQR89HB5
Despite initially stating that there was no hijacking attempt, the Israeli authorities are now reportedly treating the incident as terrorism, according to Channel 12, citing an initial investigation and testimony from passengers.
The broadcaster reported that the co-pilot repeatedly stabbed the captain before crew members and passengers broke into the cockpit and subdued him. Israeli officials are reportedly investigating whether the suspect intended to seize control of the aircraft and crash it.
FlyDubai has not confirmed these details or described the incident as terrorism, saying only that the flight experienced an “incident” and that it is cooperating with the relevant authorities.
One passenger interviewed by Israeli media described screaming and blood in the cockpit during the flight, saying one pilot was stabbed and that Israeli passengers helped bring the situation under control.
The nationalities and identities of the two pilots remain unclear, with conflicting reports emerging following the incident.
Initial reports suggested that the captain was Russian and the co-pilot Ukrainian, with some outlets claiming the latter had initiated the cockpit altercation and attempted to crash the aircraft.
Later reports, however, identified the captain as a UAE national and the co-pilot as Omani.FlyDubai and government authorities have not confirmed the identities or nationalities of either pilot.
Unconfirmed media reports have claimed that the “violent incident” cited by FlyDubai as the reason for the diversion involved a brawl in the cockpit between the two pilots operating the flight.Preliminary reports suggest that one of the pilots attacked the other with a knife and tried to take control of the plane and crash it into the ground.
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