Netanyahu says pilot wanted to crash plane, 'major disaster' averted

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday that one pilot on a flydubai flight bound for Tel Aviv stabbed the other pilot and apparently tried to crash the plane.

Passengers and crew intervened to prevent what he called a "major disaster." The flight diverted to Saudi Arabia.

What did Netanyahu say about the flydubai pilot?

In a video message, Netanyahu said that as the flight approached the country, one pilot stabbed the other and apparently tried to crash the plane with everyone on board. He praised the passengers as "heroes" who prevented a major disaster. Ben Gvir earlier called the incident a suspected terrorist attack.

"During the flight, as they approached the country, one of the pilots stabbed the other pilot, and apparently tried to crash the plane with everyone on board," Netanyahu said. His comments came after Flydubai Flight FZ1073, travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv, diverted to Saudi Arabia and landed safely in Tabuk after transmitting emergency signals while flying over Jordanian airspace.

Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir earlier described the incident as a suspected terrorist attack. He said the pilot involved had intended to crash the plane and kill its Israeli passengers, but his account was not independently verified. An Israeli official had previously said the emergency signals were sent after the pilots became involved in a physical altercation.

What did passengers say happened on the flight?

A passenger aboard the aircraft described a chaotic scene. Miryam Shira Ohayon said one of the pilots attacked the other and that the aircraft appeared to go out of control. "The co-pilot tried to murder the pilot and basically carry out a suicide attack on the plane," Ohayon told reporters by speakerphone through her mother, who was waiting at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv.

She said passengers and other crew members eventually managed to restrain the pilot, while a doctor provided first aid to those injured. "There was also a doctor who gave first aid, and people who treated both of them," she said. Ohayon said the greatest fear among passengers was that the aircraft would crash as the confrontation unfolded, and that no passengers were injured.

Her mother, Yasmin Abukasis, said her daughter was travelling to Israel to attend a memorial service for her brother, who was killed in the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack. Abukasis told AFP that her daughter "thought they were going to die" and that another woman who entered the cockpit saw "a lot of blood." She said two other pilots were aboard the aircraft and took control of the situation before the plane was diverted to Saudi Arabia.

Was the flydubai flight a hijacking?

The aircraft transmitted a general emergency signal, followed several minutes later by a signal indicating possible unlawful interference, according to Flightradar24 data. The latter initially raised concerns of a possible hijacking, but Israeli officials said the incident was not believed to have been one.

Flydubai confirmed that Flight FZ1073 had experienced an "incident" while travelling to Tel Aviv and landed safely at Tabuk, with all passengers and crew accounted for. The airline said it was working with the relevant authorities but did not provide further details. Both pilots were injured and taken to hospital, according to the operator of Tabuk airport, and authorities were continuing to investigate what happened aboard the aircraft.