Politics
NEW: Passenger Plane Makes Emergency Landing After Co-Pilot Stabs Captain Mid-Flight
A Flydubai passenger jet bound for Israel was forced into an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday after a terrifying cockpit confrontation in which Israeli officials say the co-pilot stabbed the captain.
Flight FZ1073 had departed Dubai for Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv when the incident erupted mid-flight, sending the Boeing 737 into a sudden plunge and triggering emergency alerts that initially raised fears of a hijacking.
Two Israeli officials told Reuters that the co-pilot was believed to have stabbed the captain before cabin crew entered the cockpit and helped bring the situation under control.
Israeli authorities are investigating whether the incident may have been an attempted “terror attack.”
A passenger aboard the flight described a scene of panic as the aircraft lost altitude.
“There are many different accounts, but apparently the co-pilot stabbed the captain and collapsed onto the controls, shutting down the entire instrument panel. We began plunging downward for several minutes. Everyone on the plane was screaming, the overhead compartments opened, and the power went out. We were sure we were going to die. It was very scary,” the passenger said.
Flydubai has confirmed that the aircraft experienced an incident and landed safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, but the airline has not publicly confirmed the reported stabbing or explained what sparked the cockpit confrontation.
Both pilots were hospitalized after suffering injuries, according to Reuters.
The aircraft’s descent was dramatic.
Israel-bound plane plunges 18k feet mid air after pilot is stabbed by co-pilots https://t.co/eGOz8Cs5B9 pic.twitter.com/OnyXfse3Hf
— New York Post (@nypost) September 30, 2026
Flight-tracking data showed the jet dropping nearly 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds before transmitting an emergency signal.
The plane initially squawked 7700, the universal code for a general emergency, before briefly switching to 7500, which signals possible unlawful interference aboard an aircraft.
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It later returned to 7700 before landing safely in Tabuk.
Israel responded immediately as the crisis unfolded.
Authorities initially feared the aircraft, which was carrying more than 100 Israeli passengers, could have been hijacked and scrambled fighter jets.
A regional official said an altercation took place in the cockpit and apparently involved the pilots, though investigators were still working to determine exactly what happened.
“The crew have been questioned as part of the investigation,” the regional official said, according to The Associated Press, without saying whether anyone had been detained.
Passengers told Israeli media they heard shouting near the front of the aircraft shortly before the jet suddenly dipped.
This video of the flight from Dubai plunging as the co-pilot appears to have tried to crash it is chilling. There were 174 passengers headed to Tel Aviv including 27 children. You can hear the kids scream. Thank goodness for the heroes on board. pic.twitter.com/iRdmgmmsxr
— Heidi Bachram (@HeidiBachram) September 30, 2026
Capt. Meidan Barr, former chairman of the Israel Airline Pilot Association, said such a rapid descent would normally resemble an emergency maneuver following a serious problem such as a loss of cabin pressure.
“Losing like 15,000 feet in two or three minutes, that is something that you do in, like, an emergency descent when you lose pressure,” Barr said, adding that the aircraft’s safe landing was significant and would allow investigators to determine what went wrong.
After the landing, passengers remained aboard as Saudi security forces surrounded the aircraft.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened security consultations and cleared the rest of his schedule as officials worked to determine whether the incident was connected to a broader security threat.
Israel’s airspace was also temporarily closed before reopening after the jet landed safely.
Flydubai later confirmed the diversion.
“Our teams are working closely with the relevant authorities,” the carrier said. “Further updates will be issued as additional confirmed details become available.”
The exact motive behind the cockpit attack remains under investigation.
Israeli officials have increasingly treated the episode as a potential terror incident, while the airline has so far limited its public comments to confirming that an in-flight incident occurred and that all passengers were safe.
