FlyDubai confirms cockpit altercation, says motive remains unknown
FlyDubai confirmed Wednesday that an altercation occurred on the flight deck of its Israel-bound flight before the aircraft diverted to Saudi Arabia, while cautioning that the reasons and motives behind the incident remain unknown.
"An altercation occurred in the flight deck of flight FZ 1073, operating from Dubai International (DXB) to Ben Gurion International Airport (TLV), on 30 September," a FlyDubai spokesperson said in an updated statement.
The airline said on-duty FlyDubai crew members who were traveling aboard the flight successfully secured the aircraft before diverting and landing safely at Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia.
All passengers and crew members were "safe and accounted for," according to the carrier.
FlyDubai said it had deployed two replacement aircraft to Tabuk to relieve the passengers and crew and that the incident had not affected other scheduled operations across its network.
The airline did not address Israeli officials' assertions about an attempted attack, saying the circumstances remained under investigation.
"At this early stage, the underlying reasons and motives behind this event are unknown and remain subject to a formal investigation," the spokesperson said. "We urge all parties to refrain from premature speculation while authorities gather the facts."
FlyDubai said its immediate priority was the safety, health and well-being of the passengers and crew involved and supporting the official investigation.
FlyDubai passengers to arrive soon at Tel Aviv airport
Passengers from the FlyDubai flight that made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia are expected to arrive soon at Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv.
Magen David Adom (MDA), Israel's national emergency medical, disaster, ambulance and blood bank service, said its teams, along with medical clinic personnel at the airport, are on standby with mobile intensive care units and ambulances to meet the passengers arriving from Saudi Arabia.
Paramedics will assess the passengers upon arrival and provide medical treatment if necessary, according to an MDA spokesperson.
FlyDubai earlier said it had deployed two replacement aircraft to Tabuk, where Flight FZ1073 diverted following the cockpit altercation, to transport passengers and relieve crew members.
FlyDubai jet exceeded max operating speed by 'at least 100 knots' during plunge: former Navy pilot
The FlyDubai aircraft that plunged thousands of feet during a cockpit altercation Wednesday appeared to exceed its maximum operating speed by "at least 100 knots," according to retired Navy F/A-18 fighter pilot Matthew Buckley.
Buckley, appearing on Fox News' "America's Newsroom," highlighted the extreme speed and rapid loss of altitude as he analyzed what happened aboard the Israel-bound flight.
"This airliner went from about 35,000, 34,000 feet down to — they lost about 20,000 feet in altitude in 30 seconds to a minute," Buckley said.
"They exceeded the max operating speed of this aircraft by at least 100 knots," he added.
Buckley also pointed to images of the aircraft that he said showed damage to its tail, saying, "They ripped the rudder off this tail."
The retired fighter pilot said the timeline suggested the aircraft's hijacking transponder code may not have been entered until after the initial emergency had already unfolded.
"I don't think, based on the timeline, that the squawk, the hijack squawk, was entered until after things had already happened," Buckley said.
Netanyahu says FlyDubai pilot stabbed fellow pilot, 'apparently tried to crash' plane
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday that a pilot aboard the Israel-bound FlyDubai flight stabbed another pilot and "apparently tried to crash the plane with everyone on board," praising passengers and crew members who he said intervened and prevented disaster.
Netanyahu said nearly all the passengers aboard the flight from Dubai to Israel were Israeli and described the episode as an "extremely serious security incident."
The prime minister said he spoke with an Israeli passenger who told him the aircraft went into a spin and began diving before the passenger and a crew member managed to enter the cockpit.
Netanyahu said the two subdued the pilot accused of carrying out the stabbing as he was allegedly attempting to sabotage the aircraft's systems. Additional aircrew members who were aboard then entered the cockpit and stabilized the plane, according to Netanyahu.
"I salute these heroes, who showed exceptional resourcefulness and courage," Netanyahu said. "They saved many lives. They prevented a terrible disaster."
The aircraft ultimately landed safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. Netanyahu said all passengers were out of danger and that the pilot accused of carrying out the stabbing had been detained and was being questioned by Saudi authorities.
Netanyahu added that Israel remained in contact with the relevant authorities to ensure the passengers' safety and return home.
The prime minister said he had also instructed Israeli security services to prepare for "further potential threats," with officials continuing to hold security assessments as the investigation unfolds.
FlyDubai incident was 'attempted jihadist terrorist attack,' Israeli defense minister says
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Wednesday that the incident aboard an Israel-bound FlyDubai flight was an "attempted jihadist terrorist attack," saying preliminary information indicated the alleged attacker intended to crash the aircraft with everyone aboard.
"The serious incident aboard the Flydubai aircraft was an attempted jihadist terrorist attack," Katz said in a statement, adding that it was thwarted through the "bravery of several Israeli passengers" who entered the cockpit, overpowered the alleged attacker and helped restore control of the aircraft to another flight crew aboard the plane.
"According to the preliminary information available to us, the terrorist had one intention: to crash the aircraft with everyone on board," Katz said.
The FlyDubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv plunged thousands of feet before making an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. The aircraft landed safely, and its captain and first officer were hospitalized with injuries.
FlyDubai has confirmed that Flight FZ1073 experienced an incident and landed safely but has not publicly confirmed Israel's account of an attempted terrorist attack or the circumstances of the cockpit confrontation.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu separately said Wednesday that one pilot stabbed another and apparently attempted to crash the aircraft.
https://www.foxnews.com/live-news/flydubai-flight-israel-saudi-arabia-09-30
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