Crime & Public Safety
flydubai plane lands after alleged cockpit attack
A flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv made an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, on Wednesday after Israeli officials alleged that one of the pilots tried to take control of the aircraft and crash it.
Flight FZ 1703 took off from Dubai at 0305 GMT. Flightradar24 data showed the aircraft dropped from nearly 34,000 feet at 0521 GMT to less than 17,000 feet at 0522 GMT.
Israeli media reported that the plane transmitted a general emergency signal at 0531 GMT and a hijacking code at 0538 GMT. The reports said the Israeli military scrambled fighter jets after initial fears of a hijacking.
Passenger Miryam Shira Ohayon said the plane began to spin "pretty much out of control". Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later said one pilot had stabbed the other in an attempt to take over and crash the plane.
Israeli officials said passengers broke into the cockpit and overpowered the pilot who had tried to take control. They said another crew member who was travelling on the plane was given command to fly it.
The company operating the airport said the plane landed in Tabuk at 0645 GMT and that the captain and copilot were found injured and taken to hospital. Netanyahu said Saudi authorities had arrested the co-pilot and were interrogating him.
Netanyahu's office said the incident was under control. He later praised people on board who he said had prevented a major disaster. A new flight departed around 1349 GMT to take passengers to Tel Aviv.
Uncertainty notes
The allegation that a pilot tried to crash the plane has not been described as independently established.
The motive for the alleged cockpit attack was not established in the supplied information.
The source item did not give a final investigative finding on whether the incident was a hijacking or attempted terrorist attack.
Source
AFP news report published on .