A Flydubai aircraft flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia after one of the pilots allegedly attempted to hijack the plane, leading to an altercation in the cockpit.
An Israeli official told
The Jerusalem Post that a “major disaster was narrowly avoided.”
One passenger told
Fox News that there are conflicting accounts of what happened, but it’s believed the co-pilot had stabbed the captain.
“There are many different accounts, but apparently the co-pilot stabbed the captain and collapsed onto the controls, shutting down the entire instrument panel. We began plunging downward for several minutes. Everyone on the plane was screaming, the overhead compartments opened, and the power went out. We were sure we were going to die. It was very scary,” the passenger told
Fox News.
“Photos are circulating reportedly of a passenger who, along with other passengers, managed to subdue one of the pilots on board Flydubai flight FZ1073. An Israeli official said there was suspicion that one pilot may have tried to crash the aircraft before the other pilot, with help from Israeli passengers, managed to subdue him,” Breaking Aviation News & Videos wrote.
“Flight-tracking data from Flightradar24 showed the aircraft rapidly descending from about 34,000 feet to 14,000 feet, at one point displaying an instantaneous descent rate of about 30,976 feet per minute. Flydubai confirmed that Flight FZ1073 from Dubai International Airport to Ben Gurion Airport experienced an ‘inflight incident’ and landed safely in Tabuk. ‘All passengers are safe and being looked after,’ the airline said, adding that it was cooperating with the relevant authorities and would provide further updates as information was verified,” it added.
“An unnamed passenger tells the Jerusalem Post that one pilot was stabbed by another, but passengers near the front of the plane helped force the attacker from the cockpit. The witness says two other pilots were on board, at the back of the plane. ‘I shouted at them to run and take control of the plane,’ the passenger tells the Jerusalem Post,” Breaking Aviation News & Videos wrote.
“The passenger also say the injured pilot was given life-saving care by a dentist on the flight. Another passenger tells journalists the crew asked for help, and that passengers helped tackle one of the pilots and tie him down. Yasmin Abukasis says her daughter, who was on the flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv, phoned her to say she heard screaming on the plane as a pilot called for help,” it added.
An unnamed passenger tells the Jerusalem Post that one pilot was stabbed by another, but passengers near the front of the plane helped force the attacker from the cockpit.
The witness says two other pilots were on board, at the back of the plane. "I shouted at them to run and…
— Breaking Aviation News & Videos (@aviationbrk)
September 30, 2026
Fox News shared further:
The passenger’s account of an apparent stabbing has not been confirmed by Flydubai or authorities. An investigation into the incident remains underway.
The Dubai-to-Tel Aviv flight landed safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, and everyone aboard was reported safe, according to officials.
A regional official briefed on the incident said an altercation broke out in the cockpit and apparently involved the pilots, though it was not immediately clear what sparked the confrontation. Israeli media, citing security officials, also reported that a dispute between the two pilots was behind the emergency.
“The crew have been questioned as part of the investigation,” the regional official said, according to The Associated Press, without saying whether anyone had been detained.
An Israeli official told the AP that Israel believes the incident may have been an attempt to attack Israelis, though the investigation remains ongoing.
Alleged footage from the commercial aircraft has started circulating on social media:
Moments of panic on the plane
pic.twitter.com/AeM8JWukrT
— Amit Segal (@AmitSegal)
September 30, 2026
Heart-stopping footage from inside the flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv that plummeted to 15,000 feet shows panic among the passengers.
27A
pic.twitter.com/GYfZh4wnzr
— C14 News | EN (@c14english)
September 30, 2026
A horrific terrorist attack and potential mass casualty disaster unfolded in the skies today.
A pilot aboard a Flydubai flight carrying Israelis from Dubai to Tel Aviv tried to seize control of the aircraft and crash it.
The co-pilot fought back and was wounded in a violent…
pic.twitter.com/cHavdEyAFK
— Sacha Roytman (@SachaRoytman)
September 30, 2026
More from
The Jerusalem Post:
The growing assessment among the Israeli security establishment, including the IDF, Mossad, and Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency), is that the incident was intended as an act of terror.
During the altercation, the aircraft plunged approximately 4,000 meters in altitude, the official noted.
The aircraft, operating as flight FZ1073 and carrying over 100 Israeli passengers, initially transmitted squawk code 7700, indicating a general emergency, before switching to 7500, which signals unlawful interference, and later reverting to the initial code.
As the incident unfolded, the Israel Air Force (IAF) scrambled fighter jets in preparation for a possible emergency and raised its alert level, Walla reported. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had convened a security meeting with defense officials, the Post learned.
“The incident is under control, and all measures are currently being deployed in order to return the Israeli passengers safely to Israel,” the Prime Minister’s Office said following the consultations.
Israeli airspace was also temporarily closed and later reopened after the plane landed in Saudi Arabia. It landed at Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Airport, also known as Tabuk Airport, the airline confirmed.
The Emirati airline is set to send another aircraft to Saudi Arabia to bring the passengers back to Tel Aviv.
Defense Minister Israel Katz and IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir were also considering the possibility of dispatching Israeli military or civilian aircraft in order to bring the Israelis home, the Post learned.
This story is developing.
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This is a Guest Post from our friends over at 100 Percent Fed Up. View the original article here.
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[ H/T WLT Report ]
