- Co-pilot stabbed Emirati pilot mid-flight, causing 17,400 ft drop.
- Off-duty pilots, passengers, dentist intervened to regain control.
- Israeli authorities investigating potential terror attack angle.
A flydubai flight, FZ1073, witnessed a chaotic scene mid-air while en route to Tel Aviv after a clash erupted between the two pilots inside the cockpit. The complete loss of flight control for just two minutes plunged the aircraft by 17,400 feet, leaving 180 passengers frightened.
The Omani co-pilot stabbed an Emirati pilot of Indian origin, during which the aircraft initially broadcast squawk code 7700, indicating an emergency, before switching to 7500, signalling a hijacking and unlawful interference.
While the lives of 180 passengers and other crew members were at stake, it was a second team of pilots dressed in civil clothes, a dentist and brave passengers who averted a major accident.
Passengers: During the mid-flight scare, the passengers near the front of the plane rushed to disengage the pilots and keep the attacker co-pilot out of the cockpit, which proved crucial in bringing the aircraft back in control.
Videos from the cabin showed a man wounded and covered in blood. A traveller tells the stabbed pilot that he saved the plane. Another passenger, who sustained a head injury, yelled in Hebrew, "They attacked us on this plane. They tried to murder the pilot. We overpowered him."
Meanwhile, a third voice added, "We are standing here. No one passes the pilot's door."
A dentist: A witness, cited by The Jerusalem Post, said that a dentist was present in the flight who provided a life-saving case to the injured pilot.
Second team of pilots: The witness also said that a second team of pilots was present on the flight in civilian clothes, which rushed to the cockpit soon after emergency signals.
The two relief pilots managed to isolate the attacker and force him out with the help of other passengers.
"I shouted at them to run and take control of the plane," the witness told the Jerusalem Post. However, another report claimed that some off-duty pilots were among the passengers who eventually stepped in and took control of the plane and landed it in Tabuk.
Motive, trigger and circumstances still unclear
The cause of the fight between the pilots, motive and circumstances linked to the stabbing still remain unclear, as neither the authorities nor the airline has issued an explanation regarding them.
Israeli authorities have not ruled out a terror attack angle. Some of the Israeli media outlets have claimed that the Omani pilot wanted to take control of the plane and carry out a 9/11 like incident by crashing it.
Israeli national security minister Itamar Ben Gvir called it a foiled terrorist attack. A "terrorist" wanted to crash the aircraft and kill the Israelis on board, he claimed.