Passengers and crew aboard a Flydubai jet bound for Tel Aviv helped foil an attempted hijacking by one of the pilots, Israeli officials said Wednesday.
The aircraft, a Boeing 737 MAX, landed safely but unexpectedly in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, Wednesday morning after diverting from Ben Gurion International Airport. Those on board told media outlets and investigators that one of the pilots attacked the other, then began bashing the controls, causing the airplane to drop over 17,000 feet in seconds.
Crew members and passengers seated near the front of the cabin said they heard the struggle in the cockpit, subdued the attacking pilot, and summoned two off-duty pilots who were traveling as passengers. The off-duty pilots took control of the 737 and executed the landing at Tabuk, while others attempted to assist the injured pilot, who was carried out of the flight deck and into the main cabin.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu largely confirmed those accounts Wednesday, saying one of the pilots stabbed the other, then attempted to crash the airplane and kill everyone on board. He praised the passengers and crew who intervened as “heroes.”
No injuries to any passengers were reported. Israeli passengers were flown from Tabuk to Tel Aviv, where Netanyahu greeted them in person.
According to Reuters, the pilot who attempted to hijack the 737 is an Omani national; the other pilot is an Indian national. Both were hospitalized upon arrival in Tabuk.
It was not immediately clear what motivated the attack.
Israel, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, where the flight originated, are now investigating the incident. Israel said Saudi Arabia is handling the interrogation of the suspect pilot.
Israel initially planned to ramp up screening of all Flydubai personnel entering the country, but on Wednesday afternoon the carrier announced it will suspend all flights to and from Israel while investigations continue.
The airline, which described the incident as an “altercation,” warned against “premature speculation” and said it would be inappropriate to draw conclusions about motive.
The passengers, rattled but relieved, told reporters that they were grateful to be back in Israel. Yaniv Hayunne, one of the passengers who helped restrain the attacker, was still wearing a bloodstained shirt when he arrived at Ben Gurion.
“I see you and I see a lion, a great hero,” Netanyahu told Hayunne.
Another passenger, Asaf Rajuan, told Reuters than he and others rushed into the cockpit without thinking, as if he was running to his save his family’s life.
Unnamed Israeli officials who spoke with local media said the defense and intelligence establishment is split on whether the incident was an act of terrorism or a suicide attempt.
