Emergency diversion of Israel-bound flight reportedly follows ‘violent incident’ between pilots

A “violent incident” between two pilots caused a FlyDubai aircraft traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv to divert to Saudi Arabia, CNN reported citing sources.

The aircraft descended 17,400 feet – from 34,000 to around 16,600 feet – over northwestern Saudi Arabia in just over two minutes at around 1:20 a.m. ET, flight tracking data reviewed by CNN shows. The aircraft then transmitted an emergency signal at 1:32 a.m. ET.

An Israeli official said the incident was not a hijacking, adding that they understood it to be an internal personnel incident onboard, according to CNN.

The incident prompted Israel’s prime minister and defense minister to hold a security consultation. Israeli fighter jets were scrambled after the emergency signal was sent, an Israeli military spokesperson told CNN.

Flight FDB1073, with a reported 180 passengers — including dozens of Israelis — sent a “squawk code” of 7700, a general international emergency signal, as it made a U-turn over the Jordan-Saudi Arabia border, according to The Times of Israel.

The Boeing 737 MAX, as it flew over Saudi Arabia, briefly issued a code 7500, meaning a hijacking or unlawful interference.

The plane failed to maintain a steady altitude, though it remained at around 15,000 feet, indicating it was being controlled by hand rather than autopilot.

Israeli authorities were unable to make contact with the plane during the incident.

Times of Israel reported that the plane landed at Tabuk airport in Saudi Arabia.

A passenger on the plane that made the emergency landing described harrowing scenes to Channel 12.

“We heard screams on the plane. Then they opened the cockpit and we saw blood, and someone had stabbed the pilot with a pocketknife,” the unnamed woman told the network via text message, according to The Times of Israel.

Though there is very little official information at this point, it is believed that a violent altercation developed between the two pilots.

The woman says Israeli passengers helped restrain the attacker along with members of the crew.