Flydubai flight FZ 1073, a daily service from Dubai to Tel Aviv, made an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, on Wednesday after an incident in the cockpit. The passenger jet, carrying about 150 passengers, abruptly descended thousands of metres in seconds.
Flight tracking website Flightradar24 recorded the aircraft dropping from around 10,000 meters to 5,100 meters in less than two minutes. The plane then transmitted emergency and hijack signals before making an erratic circle near the Jordanian border and heading south.
Accounts from the airline, passenger testimony, and Israeli officials describe a series of events approximately two and a half hours after takeoff. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that one of the pilots stabbed the other and apparently attempted to crash the plane. He added that the alleged assailant was arrested after the landing.
Passengers reported screams and distress on board, with some footage showing the aftermath of violence inside the fuselage. One passenger described three to five individuals entering the cockpit to subdue the alleged assailant and treat an injured pilot. Flydubai confirmed the aircraft was "successfully secured by on-duty flydubai crew travelling on the flight," who then diverted and landed the plane safely.