Flydubai FZ1073 Horror: Pilot Allegedly Tried to Crash Tel Aviv-Bound Plane Before Cockpit Stabbing

A Flydubai flight travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv was forced to make an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday after a serious incident reportedly broke out inside the cockpit.

Flight FZ1073, a Boeing 737 operating from Dubai International Airport to Ben Gurion Airport, transmitted emergency signals during the flight, including Squawk 7500, a code associated with suspected hijacking or unlawful interference. The alert triggered a major security response, with Israeli fighter jets reportedly scrambled toward the aircraft. 

According to initial reports, the incident involved a violent confrontation between the two pilots. Later accounts alleged that one pilot may have attempted to force the aircraft into a dangerous descent, raising fears that he was trying to crash the plane. The other pilot reportedly intervened and regained control of the aircraft. However, the precise sequence of events and motive remain under investigation. 

The aircraft reportedly underwent a dramatic descent of around 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds, according to Reuters, before eventually diverting to Tabuk Airport in northwestern Saudi Arabia. 

Reports from passengers described scenes of panic inside the cabin. Witnesses said they heard screaming and saw blood, while accounts circulated that one pilot had been stabbed during the confrontation. Some passengers reportedly feared that the aircraft was going to crash.

There were also reports that passengers became involved in restraining the person involved in the cockpit confrontation. These details have emerged primarily from passenger accounts and media reports and have not all been independently confirmed by Flydubai or authorities. 

The aircraft eventually landed safely at Tabuk. All passengers were reported safe, and Flydubai confirmed that the flight had experienced an incident and that the aircraft had landed safely in Saudi Arabia. The airline said its teams were cooperating with the relevant authorities. 

Hijacking or Pilot Altercation?

The initial emergency signal led to fears of a hijacking, particularly because the aircraft was carrying a large number of Israeli passengers and was headed for Tel Aviv. However, Israeli officials subsequently said the incident was not a conventional hijacking and appeared to have resulted from an altercation involving personnel aboard the aircraft. 

Authorities are continuing to investigate what triggered the confrontation, who initiated the violence and whether there was an intentional attempt to crash the aircraft. Those allegations should therefore be treated as preliminary until investigators establish the facts.

The incident prompted urgent security consultations in Israel, while the safe landing in Saudi Arabia brought the immediate danger to an end. The investigation is expected to focus on the cockpit confrontation, the emergency signals, the aircraft's sudden descent and the circumstances surrounding the reported stabbing.