Passengers and Crew Prevent Crash on Flydubai Flight to Israel After Cockpit Incident
According to the South China Morning Post, passengers and crew on a Flydubai flight successfully stopped a co-pilot from crashing the aircraft after an incident in the cockpit, leading to a diversion to Saudi Arabia before passengers reached Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport.
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Based on reporting by South China Morning Post:
Israeli officials reported that passengers on a Flydubai flight destined for Israel arrived safely on Wednesday after the flight's passengers and crew managed to thwart a co-pilot's attempt to crash the aircraft. This incident reportedly began when the co-pilot stabbed the pilot, causing the jet to drop nearly 14,000 feet in under 30 seconds.
Israeli officials stated that the passengers and crew entered the cockpit, overpowered the co-pilot and enabled a second pair of Flydubai pilots who were already aboard the flight to land the aircraft safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. The passengers and crew subsequently boarded a replacement aircraft and eventually reached Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport more than 10 hours later. Several individuals described the event as a miracle and recounted the intense struggle to avert a disaster.
Regarding the incident involving flight FZ1073 traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv, the motive of the attacker remained under investigation, according to Israeli officials. This event occurred against the backdrop of the Abraham Accords, which normalized relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, including Dubai, in 2020.
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