Israel-bound flight diverted after death-dive and pilot stabbing: As it happened

Unconfirmed media reports have claimed that the “violent incident” cited by FlyDubai as the reason for the diversion involved a brawl in the cockpit between the two pilots operating the flight.

Preliminary reports suggest that one of the pilots attacked the other with a knife and tried to take control of the plane and crash it into the ground.

The nationalities and identities of the two pilots remain unclear, with conflicting reports emerging following the incident.

Initial reports suggested that the captain was Russian and the co-pilot Ukrainian, with some outlets claiming the latter had initiated the cockpit altercation and attempted to crash the aircraft.

Later reports, however, identified the captain as a UAE national and the co-pilot as Omani.
FlyDubai and government authorities have not confirmed the identities or nationalities of either pilot.

One passenger interviewed by Israeli media described screaming and blood in the cockpit during the flight, saying one pilot was stabbed and that Israeli passengers helped bring the situation under control.

Despite initially stating that there was no hijacking attempt, the Israeli authorities are now reportedly treating the incident as terrorism, according to Channel 12, citing an initial investigation and testimony from passengers.

The broadcaster reported that the co-pilot repeatedly stabbed the captain before crew members and passengers broke into the cockpit and subdued him. Israeli officials are reportedly investigating whether the suspect intended to seize control of the aircraft and crash it.

FlyDubai has not confirmed these details or described the incident as terrorism, saying only that the flight experienced an “incident” and that it is cooperating with the relevant authorities.

One of the passengers of the flight shared his testimony from the plane, describing how the altercation started and how the passengers intervened.

Flight tracking data shows the plane made a sudden descent after the co-pilot allegedly forced it into a dive after attacking the captain. The airliner dropped a whopping 4,500 meters in nearly half a minute, at a speed of over 900km/h.

The rapid drop appeared to have damaged the plane’s tail, according to unconfirmed photos said to have been taken after it managed to land safely in Tabuk.

Russia’s General Consulate in Dubai has dismissed reports that one of the pilots was Russian, stating that there were no Russian citizens on board the flight.

According to the latest but still unconfirmed media reports, the pilots are believed to be of Arab and Indian descent.

Some outlets have also claimed that one of the pilots has died from his wounds.

An unconfirmed video, apparently filmed from inside the aircraft, has circulated on social media, allegedly showing the two pilots of the FlyDubai flight covered in blood. The passengers can be seen trying to provide aid to the two men.
WARNING: DISTURBING FOOTAGE

One of the pilots, who is believed to be an Omani national and allegedly responsible for the attack, had worked for FlyDubai for less than a year, according to Israeli broadcaster N12.

Israeli Minister of Transportation Miri Regev has now demanded that FlyDubai stop all flights to Israel and has called for an investigation into whether Dubai violated its aviation agreement with West Jerusalem. The deal prohibits pilots from countries that do not have normalized diplomatic ties with Israel from operating flights to the country.

Israeli officials are now reportedly also examining whether the Omani pilot held dual citizenship, which would have allowed him to board the flight, N12 said.

The mother of one of the FlyDubai passengers has shared her daughter's account of the incident, describing how the plane seemed to suddenly lose control and how people started screaming. She said several Israelis ran to the cockpit to stop the attacker, while another two pilots who were on the plane eventually took control of the aircraft.