One hundred and seventy-four passengers returned to Israel Wednesday after a pilot on a Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv stabbed the other pilot, causing the aircraft to plunge about 17,000 feet before an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia.
Flydubai Flight 1073, a Boeing 737 MAX 8, was heading toward Israel when the deputy pilot, identified by Israeli officials as an Omani national, attacked the lead pilot in the cockpit. The aircraft then suddenly plunged thousands of feet.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the injured pilot, Capt. Smit Machchhar, an Indian citizen, was seriously wounded but managed to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers and crew members to enter and overpower the attacker.
Several passengers rushed to the cockpit and helped restrain the pilot. Asaf Rajuan, one of the Israeli passengers involved, said he and five other passengers “acted on instinct” after realizing the aircraft was out of control.
Rajuan said the plane nosedived for what felt like 10 to 15 seconds. He said another pilot who had been sitting near the front of the aircraft helped stabilize the plane before the crew diverted it to Saudi Arabia.
The aircraft landed at an airport in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, where the pilots were taken to a hospital for treatment. Saudi authorities arrested the suspected attacker.
A photo taken after the aircraft landed in Saudi Arabia appears to show visible damage along the vertical tail, with dark marks and what looks like damage to part of the tail structure.
The incident caused the aircraft to drop roughly 14,000 feet in under 30 seconds, according to FlightRadar24. Passengers described chaos inside the cabin as they feared the plane could crash.
One Israeli passenger who was a medical professional also helped treat the injured pilot and stop his bleeding.
After spending about six hours in Tabuk, the passengers were flown back to Israel on another Flydubai aircraft and arrived at Ben-Gurion Airport Wednesday evening.
Flydubai said it was suspending all flights to and from Israel while authorities investigate the incident, according to Flydubai spokesperson.
Israeli security officials are investigating whether the incident was an attempted terrorist attack targeting Israelis, but the motive remains unclear.
Israeli authorities are also examining how the pilot was able to bring a weapon into the cockpit and other security failures surrounding the flight.