An unprecedented aviation security incident unravelled on Wednesday after a FlyDubai flight -- on its way from Dubai to Tel Aviv - reportedly dealt with
a mid-air scuffle between two pilots. According to reports, one of the pilots stabbed another while the plane was mid-air. As per unconfirmed reports that surfaced in Hebrew media, one of the pilots attempted to crash the plane when the second pilot stopped him with passengers’ help. According to one of the eyewitnesses, the sister of one of the passengers on the Fly Dubai flight said that a crew member came out and shouted "Allahu Akbar" with a knife. Reports surfacing post the incident claim that the flight sent a '7500 code' - meaning a hijacking or unlawful interference - leading to the scrambling of Israeli warplanes while passengers described the terror on board saying there was blood in the cockpit but ultimately when the plane landed, all passengers were safe but the flight suffered damage in its tail.
Flight Dropped 14000 Feet in 30 Seconds
The Associated Press reported that around two and a half hours after departing from Dubai, it abruptly descended from 33,000 feet to 17,000 feet within a minute, before making an erratic circle close to the Jordanian border and eventually landing in Tabuk about an hour later, according to FlightRadar24.
A regional official briefed on the incident said a fight broke out in the cockpit and apparently involved pilots. It wasn’t immediately clear what had caused the fight, the official said.
“The crew have been questioned as part of the investigation,” the regional official added but did not say if anyone had been detained.
An Israeli official said that Israel believes the incident may have been an attempt to attack Israelis, but the investigation is still ongoing.
A third official confirmed that Israel had scrambled warplanes, fearing a hijacking of a plane carrying dozens of its citizens. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned in recent days of unspecified, escalated security threats.
All three officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the incident was still under investigation. Netanyahu’s office said the situation was under control and Israel was working to bring the passengers home.
With inputs from AP
