The Flydubai flight carrying over 170 Israelis from Dubai to Tel Aviv, which diverted from its designated flight path and landed in Saudi Arabia about 30 minutes after broadcasting a hijacking distress signal, would likely have crashed had it not been for the intervention of off-duty pilots on board.
While authorities ruled out a standard hijacking, it emerged that the emergency stemmed from a violent brawl inside the cockpit. Assessments are now mounting that the clash began as a desperate attempt to stop the co-pilot from executing a terror attack. Israeli officials have designated the co-pilot as a terrorist, and the Israeli Air Force is actively preparing rescue planes.
The dramatic ordeal aboard the flight bound for Ben-Gurion Airport has sparked intense questions about what triggered the violence. Israeli officials confirmed the captain is Emirati, while the co-pilot hails from Oman. Growing evidence suggests the co-pilot intended to seize control of the aircraft and deliberately crash it with the passengers on board. Authorities in Saudi Arabia are currently interrogating the suspect.
Video: Scenes from inside the Flydubai plane / Credit: Usage under Israeli Intellectual Property Law Article 27a
Reports indicate that an additional pilot crew – a Russian and a Ukrainian – were traveling as passengers and ultimately managed to land the aircraft safely in Saudi Arabia. All Flydubai aircrews are now undergoing thorough background inspections. Meanwhile, Israel has opted to dispatch a recovery flight to Saudi Arabia to retrieve the stranded citizens, pending approval from Riyadh.
The two off-duty pilots were instrumental in subduing the immediate threat. "Ofir Spiegel, whose mother was aboard the flight, described the agonizing uncertainty his family endured while the crisis unfolded in the sky. 'These were 40 tense minutes,' Spiegel told the 'Morning News' broadcast with Yoav Limor and Nesli Barda. 'It is joyful that the plane landed and we hope to receive true updates on the passengers' condition, and not rumors in WhatsApp groups.'"
According to Spiegel, authorities provided no official updates to families as the drama played out. "No one contacted us to update us," Spiegel noted. He explained that his mother had spent roughly two weeks vacationing in the United Arab Emirates before boarding her flight home. "Mom flew to the Emirates and was there for two weeks. She had a lot of experiences and we are really waiting for her to come back already," he said.
Video: Israelis sing Od Avinu Chai as the Flydubai jet lands safely / Credit: Usage under Israeli Intellectual Property Law Article 27a
Upon landing, Spiegel's mother confirmed she felt fine and that all passengers were safe. She noted the atmosphere was highly volatile following a severe violent outbreak in the cabin, but expressed overwhelming relief that they had landed safely and were now situated in Saudi Arabia.
Video: The Emirati pilot after being stabbed on the Flydubai flight on September 30 / Credit: Social media
A female passenger described the ordeal as "very stressful," recalling that the aircraft suddenly began plummeting, prompting terrified screams from those who realized something was terribly wrong. "We understood the pilots lost control," she recalled. She stated that one pilot sustained severe stab wounds during the melee, and that Israeli passengers jumped in to help break up the fight, reporting, "There are people here with shirts covered in blood." "Now we are fine and want to return home," she added.
The Prime Minister's Office issued a statement confirming that, "Following the fear of an aviation incident, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held consultations on the matter and followed the developments. The incident is under control, and now all means are being employed in order to return the Israeli passengers safely to Israel."
