Stories
Attempted Plane Crash, Blood-Stained Pilot: The Mystery of Flight FZ1073's Cockpit
- •FlyDubai flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv sent an emergency hijacking code, triggering a high alert in Israel.
- •Israeli fighter jets escorted the plane for an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia; Israeli authorities denied a hijacking.
- •Initial reports suggest one pilot attempted a rapid descent from 30,000 feet, stopped by the other pilot who took control.
- •Passengers reported screams and fights inside the cockpit; an Israeli passenger claimed the pilot was found blood-stained, attacked with a pocket knife.
- •Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu stated the situation is under control and repatriation of passengers has begun.
Key Questions Answered
FlyDubai flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv triggered a hijacking emergency code after a dispute broke out in the cockpit and a pilot was found covered in blood. Passengers reported screams and a stabbing attempt with a pocket knife, leading Israeli passengers and crew to subdue the assailant before the plane safely made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia.
Israeli authorities have officially denied that the incident was a hijacking, stating instead that it was a dispute between two pilots. While initial emergency codes typically used in hijacking situations were sent out and investigations are ongoing, no official confirmation has been made regarding a terrorist incident.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that the situation is completely under control and stated that work has already begun to bring the passengers back to Israel following the aircraft's emergency landing in Saudi Arabia.
