A violent altercation broke out between two pilots inside the cockpit of a Flydubai commercial flight at an altitude of 34,000 feet, sparking panic among the passengers. Ultimately, with the assistance of other pilots among the passengers, the aircraft made a safe emergency landing at Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia.
Reports from The Times of Israel and Channel 12 indicate that Flydubai flight FZ1073, en route from Dubai to Tel Aviv, Israel, was carrying approximately 180 passengers. Shortly after takeoff, a heated argument and physical scuffle erupted between the two pilots in the cockpit. Preliminary information suggests that both pilots were Omani nationals.
At one point during the altercation, one pilot stabbed the other. Hearing the sounds of the struggle and shouting from the cockpit, a passenger opened the door to find one pilot lying on the floor amidst a pool of blood.
The reports state that amidst the fight, the attacking pilot attempted to crash or destroy the aircraft and threatened suicide, while the other pilot tried to thwart the attempt. Due to the struggle, the plane rapidly descended from 34,000 feet to 17,000 feet in just two minutes.
To manage the situation, the code ‘7700’ (indicating a general emergency) and subsequently the code ‘7500’ (signaling hijacking or unlawful interference) were transmitted from the cockpit to Air Traffic Control (ATC), raising fears of a major hijacking incident. A senior Israeli official stated that the situation had escalated to a point where there was a fear of a catastrophe akin to the 2001 World Trade Center attacks in the United States.
Fortunately, several professional pilots were among the passengers; they quickly entered the cockpit, brought the situation under control, and safely landed the aircraft at Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia.
Once the plane landed safely, the passengers breathed a sigh of relief, with many erupting in joy and excitement. A video of the incident has since surfaced.
Although there were initial fears of a hijacking, Israeli and relevant authorities later clarified that it was not a planned hijacking, but rather the result of a personal dispute and a violent altercation between pilots inside the cockpit.
