- Ynet reports that an Indian captain fought an Omani co-pilot suspected of trying to crash the plane.
- The jet fell from nearly 34,000 feet to below 17,000 feet in about a minute.
- Netanyahu says the alleged attacker is in Saudi custody.
- Flydubai has not confirmed the pilots' identities or nationalities.
AN INDIAN national was the captain who struggled with his co-pilot in the cockpit of a flydubai flight as the plane plunged toward the ground, according to Israeli news website Ynet, in an incident Israeli leaders have described as an attempted attack.
Ynet, citing Israeli officials, reported Wednesday that the co-pilot was an Omani national suspected of trying to bring down the aircraft. The captain fought to stop him, and Israeli passengers later helped subdue the co-pilot, the report said.
Flydubai has not identified the pilots or disclosed their nationalities, and the reports have not been independently verified. Other Israeli outlets have said one pilot was Omani and the other Emirati.
A sudden plunge over Jordan
Flight FZ1073 left Dubai for Tel Aviv carrying mostly Israeli passengers. Over Jordan, it transmitted emergency signals and went into a steep descent.
Flight-tracking data from Flightradar showed the plane falling from nearly 34,000 feet to below 17,000 feet in roughly a minute.
The aircraft diverted to Tabuk in Saudi Arabia and landed at 9:45 a.m. local time. The company that operates Tabuk airport said both pilots were injured and taken to the hospital. No passengers reported injuries.
Flydubai said the flight had "experienced an incident while en route" and that all passengers were "safe and accounted for." The airline said it was cooperating with authorities.
Israel's public broadcaster Kan and Channel 12 reported that the military scrambled fighter jets over fears of a hijacking.
'Going down very fast'
Passenger Miryam Shira Ohayon described the plane as "pretty much out of control" after one pilot tried to stab the other.
"So the co-pilot tried to murder the pilot and basically carry out a suicide attack on the plane," she told reporters over a speakerphone her mother held up at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv. "It was really on the way to crashing, and it was simply the resourcefulness of many people who took control of the co-pilot and neutralized him."
A doctor on board treated both pilots, she said.
Her mother, Yasmin Abukasis, told AFP that a passenger who went to the cockpit "saw a lot of blood" and shouted for help before others rushed in and restrained the man. "All the while, the plane started going down very fast. People thought they were going to die," she said.
Israeli media reported that two off-duty pilots traveling as passengers took over the controls and landed the plane. Photos shared by passengers showed travelers, including children, waiting in an airport lounge in Tabuk, with one man's clothes stained with blood.
Israeli leaders allege attack
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a video message that one pilot stabbed the other as the plane neared Israel and "apparently tried to crash the plane with everyone on board."
He said an Israeli passenger forced his way into the cockpit and fought the pilot, while "another air crew member who was on the plane entered the cockpit and managed to stabilize the aircraft."
"I salute these heroes, who showed extraordinary resourcefulness and courage. They saved many lives; they prevented a major disaster," Netanyahu said. He added that the alleged attacker had been arrested and was being questioned by Saudi authorities.
Defense Minister Israel Katz called it "an attempted jihadist terror attack" but did not say what that assessment was based on. National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir also alleged a "terrorist" attack. Channel 12 reported that investigators were examining whether the pilot had attempted suicide.
The incident comes less than a month before Israel's October 27 election and amid regional tensions following the war that began in late February with US-Israeli strikes on Iran. Netanyahu warned Tuesday of "indications" that enemies could strike before the vote, drawing accusations of fear-mongering from opposition leader Yair Lapid.
