Not ‘hjiacked’, Flydubai Dubai-Tel Aviv flight lands in Saudi Arabia after pilots brawl: What we know so far - The Indian Express

Flydubai Flight FZ1073, carrying over 170 passengers from Dubai to Israel’s Tel Aviv, diverted to Tabuk in northwestern Saudi Arabia after the pilots were involved in a physical altercation on Wednesday, an Israeli official told Reuters. Flydubai said the aircraft had experienced an “incident” and landed safely, with all passengers safe and accounted for.

The  Flydubai flight turned into a major security scare after emergency signals from the aircraft briefly suggested a possible hijacking, prompting Israel to scramble fighter jets and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to hold an urgent security consultation.

A Dubai–Tel Aviv flight sent emergency and hijack-alert codes near Jordan, turned back and landed in Saudi Arabia. Here is what is known.

Dubai to Tabuk instead of Tel Aviv. Times are from Flightradar24 tracking data.

Flight FZ1073, a Boeing 737 MAX 8, takes off for Tel Aviv. Ynet put the number of passengers at 174.

Flightradar24 data shows the jet leaving its 34,000 ft cruise in a steep descent, a sharp climb and another descent, settling around 15,000 ft by 05:33 GMT.

The transponder switches to 7700: general emergency.

The code changes to 7500: unlawful interference, the signal for a possible hijacking.

The jet turns west, briefly enters Jordanian airspace, then makes a 180-degree turn towards Tabuk. It returns to 7700.

Israel scrambles fighter jets amid fears of a hijacking. PM Netanyahu holds an urgent security meeting.

The aircraft lands safely at Tabuk, shortly before 10 am Israel time.

flydubai says everyone on board is safe and accounted for, and that its teams are working with the relevant authorities.

Route is approximate. The dashed line shows the rest of the planned route to Tel Aviv. Israel time is GMT+3.

Israeli security officials, cited by Israeli media, said the emergency stemmed from a physical altercation between the pilots. The Prime Minister’s Office said the diversion was “not believed to be a hijacking incident”, Reuters reported.

A squawk is a four-digit code a pilot enters into the aircraft’s transponder so it shows up on air traffic control screens. Three codes are reserved for emergencies:

Inside the flydubai cockpit: what is confirmed, what is not?

Some Israeli outlets now describe a far more serious scenario. Officials quoted by international media describe a pilot altercation that is still under investigation. flydubai has not publicly explained the cause.

Sources: flydubai, Flightradar24, Reuters, CBS News, Ynet, The Times of Israel. Map: Natural Earth.

But the incident ultimately appeared to have begun inside the cockpit.

There are unconfirmed reports in Hebrew media that one pilot may have tried to take control of the aircraft with the apparent intention of crashing it, and that the other pilot and passengers intervened. The Times of Israel reported a senior Israeli official as saying that “a very serious disaster was averted” and that there were growing indications the co-pilot had tried to take control of the aircraft. These claims have not been independently confirmed by Flydubai or other authorities.

Passengers told Israel's Channel 12 that they heard shouting towards the front of the aircraft and what appeared to be a physical altercation involving the pilots. They also described a steep descent before the aircraft diverted to Saudi Arabia. Associated Press reported that passengers remained aboard after landing in Tabuk, with Saudi security forces surrounding the plane.

There are passenger accounts of violence, but the details remain unverified. Reuters reported that the mother of a passenger, Yasmin Abu Kasis, said her daughter heard screaming and reported that a man took a knife, put a pilot on the floor and that there was blood. The Times of Israel also reported photos showing a passenger with blood on his shirt. These accounts should be attributed and should not be presented as independently established facts

First images from @flydubai flight: one of the passengers with blood on his shirt https://t.co/zfJ4UsDeaO pic.twitter.com/XDLzuz0DbE

The aircraft transmitted emergency signals while flying from Dubai towards Tel Aviv. Flight-tracking data showed it first transmitted 7700, the international code for a general emergency, and later 7500, which indicates unlawful interference and is commonly associated with a hijacking. Israel scrambled fighter jets and senior officials held security consultations as authorities tried to establish what was happening aboard the aircraft.

No. That is not the current assessment. An Israeli Prime Minister's Office spokesperson said the incident was not believed to have been a hijacking. Reuters reported that an Israeli official said the pilots had transmitted the emergency signals after getting into a physical altercation, although it was unclear whether either pilot intentionally activated the signal. AP likewise reported that officials attributed the incident to a dispute or fight between the pilots. Flydubai confirmed that FZ1073 experienced an “incident”, diverted to Tabuk and landed safely, with all passengers safe and accounted for.

WATCH: Moment the FLYDUBAI plane landed in Saudi Arabia safely pic.twitter.com/yDPuXgNlWb

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