Terror pilot fails in attempt to crash Israel-bound flight with 174 passengers
A FlyDubai aircraft which was bound for Israeli capital Tel Aviv has landed safely, after initial concerns that the plane had been hijacked.
The flight which had 174 passengers aboard, including 27 children and more than 100 Israeli nationals, was diverted to Saudi Arabia after a distress alert.
Reports say an altercation ensued in the cockpit after the co-pilot tried hijacking the plane from the other pilots in order to crash it.
The situation prompted a distress call, triggering an emergency response in Saudi Arabia, with Israeli fighter jets also scrambled to intercept the aircraft.
According to reports and videos posted on social media, the passengers had to intervene, apprehending one of the pilots, an Omani national, who was trying to crash the plane, while the two additional pilots on board managed to land the plane safely.
Flight-tracking site Flightradar24 said the Boeing 737 Max 8 transmitted the emergency code 7700, indicating a general emergency while already in Israeli airspace.
Data from the flight revealed the aircraft had descended from 34,000 feet to about 16,000 feet, which was far below its normal altitude for the route.
The distress code prompted an emergency response from Israeli security agencies as two Israeli Air Force jets were scrambled.
Meanwhile Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and defence minister Israel Katz had met at the defense headquarters and decided not to allow the aircraft to land at Ben Gurion Airport.
According to Netanyahu in the aftermath of the incident, the co-pilot stabbed the pilot and “apparently tried to crash the plane with everyone on board.”
He said an Israeli passenger told him the aircraft went into a spin and began to dive before the passengers and a crew member broke into the cockpit and subdued the pilot while he was attempting to sabotage the plane’s systems.
Netanyahu further praised the passengers and crew members for their “exceptional resourcefulness and courage,” stating that they had prevented a major disaster.
He said the culprit had been arrested and was being questioned by Saudi authorities, and that Israel was maintaining constant contact with relevant authorities to ensure the passengers’ safe return to Israel.
The aircraft which disappeared briefly from radar shortly after transmitting the distress code, later reappeared and established contact with Saudi authorities.
It subsequently landed at an airport in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, about 250 kilometers (155 miles) from Israel.
Details later…
