✪ Tel Aviv Bound Flight Diverted To Saudi Arabia After Fight In Cockpit

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he flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv was diverted to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday to make an emergency landing after a “brawl” between the pilots broke out in the cockpit. Off-duty pilots traveling on board the Boeing 737 were able to save over 170 Israeli passengers when they stepped up and intervened taking control of the aircraft on the bloodied flight deck as other passengers ran towards and subdued a man with a knife.

Passengers onboard the plane told Israel’s Channel 12 by phone they heard shouts from other travelers in the forward cabin during the altercation, saying the plane’s altitude dropped sharply before finally landing in Saudi Arabia.

The Flydubai plane is now known to have descended 17,400 feet in just over two minutes during the flight deck fracas.

An Israeli military person confirmed fighter jets were launched after the emergency signal wa originally sent. Emirati government owned Flydubai airline also confirmed the incident took place.

Flight FZ1073 was due to land at Ben-Gurion Airport but diverted and landed instead at Tabuk Airport in northeastern Saudi Arabia.

An Israeli passenger on board told journalists the crew asked for help and several passengers then helped tackle one of the pilots and tie him down. All the passengers are safe

Yasmin Abukasis said her daughter who was on the flight told her in a phone call she could hear someone screaming “help!” Abukasis said her daughter told her the plane started to lose control; but eventually off duty pilots onboard were able to wrest control of the plane, while others subdued an attacker on the floor of the plane.

In an interview with Israeli newspaper Israel Hayom, a female passenger passenger described the “very stressful” moment people on board realized the plane was rapidly descending. “We understood the pilots lost control,” she says, recounting terrified screams from passengers. “There are people here with shirts covered in blood,” she said adding: “Now we are fine and want to return home.”

UPDATE: 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Saudi Arabia has arrested the offending pilot who stabbed another pilot and apparently tried to crash the plane full of Israelis.

Netanyahu said passengers and crew members on the flight managed to subdue the attacker, preventing a “major disaster:”

Translation: During the flight, as they approached Israel, one of the pilots stabbed the other and apparently attempted to crash the plane, with everyone on board. I spoke with one of the Israeli passengers. He told me that, somehow, he managed to break into the cockpit with one of the crew members, and together they subdued the pilot who had committed the stabbing while he was attempting to sabotage the aircraft’s systems. Another flight crew member entered the cockpit and managed to stabilize the plane. I salute these heroes who demonstrated resourcefulness and extraordinary courage. They saved many lives and averted a terrible disaster. The pilot who committed the stabbing has been arrested and is currently being interrogated by Saudi authorities. We are maintaining close contact with the relevant authorities to ensure the continued safety of the individuals involved and to ensure their safe return to Israel. I have instructed the security agencies to prepare for other potential threats. We are maintaining ongoing situational assessments. ✪