English
English
English
Flydubai flight lands safely after dramatic mid-air emergency (Img: X)
New Delhi: A Dubai-Tel Aviv flydubai flight carrying around 180 passengers landed safely at Saudi Arabia’s Tabuk airport on Wednesday after a mid-air incident. The incident triggered a brief hijacking scare and prompted Israeli authorities to scramble fighter jets.
Flight FZ1073, operated by a Boeing 737 MAX 8, was flying towards Ben Gurion Airport when it transmitted the international emergency code 7700, signalling a general emergency. It subsequently transmitted code 7500, which indicates possible hijacking or unlawful interference.
The aircraft was diverted from its route and eventually landed at Tabuk airport in northern Saudi Arabia, where Saudi security forces surrounded the plane. The precise sequence of events remains under investigation.
Flight-tracking data showed unusually sharp changes in the aircraft’s altitude before and during the emergency. The aircraft reportedly descended from around 30,000 feet to about 15,000 feet in a matter of minutes. At one point, its calculated vertical speed reportedly fluctuated between approximately -30,000 and +10,000 feet per minute.
The aircraft briefly climbed to around 21,650 feet before descending again and later remained at roughly 15,000 feet.
Initial assessments and reports from Israeli officials and media outlets indicated that an altercation between the two pilots may have triggered the emergency signals.
Israeli media reported, citing passengers and Hebrew-language media reports, said one pilot allegedly attempted to crash the aircraft and was stopped by the second pilot, with help from passengers.
As per report, one of the pilots may have attempted suicide and allegedly sent the aircraft into a rapid dive before the second pilot intervened.
A local Israeli media report, citing eyewitness accounts, said one pilot displayed unruly behaviour and threatened suicide. It also reported that an Israeli passenger entered the cockpit and helped the co-pilot restrain the pilot.
However, these accounts have not been independently confirmed, and the exact circumstances inside the cockpit remain unclear.
Passengers quoted by Israeli media described a tense situation inside the aircraft, saying they heard shouting near the cockpit and felt the plane make a steep descent.
Some passengers also reportedly claimed there was blood in the cockpit and that one of the pilots had been stabbed. They said passengers helped crew members restrain an attacker. These accounts also remain unverified.
Israeli authorities initially struggled to establish contact with the aircraft, prompting the deployment of fighter jets amid concerns that the flight could have been hijacked.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and senior military officials held consultations as the situation unfolded. Netanyahu’s office later said the situation was under control and that all necessary measures were being taken to ensure the safe return of Israeli passengers.
Flydubai later confirmed that FZ1073 had experienced an “incident” and landed safely in Tabuk. The airline said all passengers were “safe and accounted for” and that it was working with the relevant authorities.
The aircraft’s safe landing brought the immediate security scare to an end, but the events that led to the emergency signals, the reported cockpit confrontation and the aircraft’s dramatic altitude changes remain subject to investigation.
