What unfolded aboard the aircraft has since emerged through passenger accounts, flight-tracking information and statements from Israeli officials.
Passenger Describes Terrifying Plunge
One passenger recounted the terrifying moments when the aircraft suddenly began losing altitude after the reported stabbing.
The passenger told Fox News that accounts of the confrontation differed, but described a scene in which the co-pilot allegedly stabbed the captain before collapsing onto the aircraft’s controls.
“There are many different accounts, but apparently the co-pilot stabbed the captain and collapsed onto the controls, shutting down the entire instrument panel. We began plunging downward for several minutes. Everyone on the plane was screaming, the overhead compartments opened, and the power went out. We were sure we were going to die. It was very scary,” a passenger told Fox.
The account paints a picture of the terror experienced by those aboard as the aircraft rapidly descended. Passengers reportedly screamed while overhead compartments opened and the cabin lost power.
The sudden drop left those aboard fearing the aircraft would crash.
According to reporting from CBS News and The Associated Press, the plane descended from approximately 33,000 feet to around 17,000 feet during the emergency. Flight-tracking data indicated that the aircraft then maneuvered before continuing toward Tabuk, where it made an emergency landing.
The dramatic loss of altitude was also highlighted by i24 News correspondent Amichai Stein, who reported that the aircraft dropped approximately 4,305 meters — more than 14,000 feet — in roughly 30 seconds.
Fox News separately reported that the plane lost approximately 17,000 feet in about one minute.
The differing figures reflect separate reports of the aircraft’s descent, but both describe an extraordinary drop that triggered alarm among passengers and aviation authorities.
Bloody Scene Inside the Aircraft
The incident left the captain and another crew member injured, with disturbing images and videos emerging from inside the plane.
Photographs reportedly showed a bloodied individual receiving assistance from people aboard the aircraft. Passengers also described finding substantial amounts of blood following the cockpit confrontation.
One passenger told Fox News there was “a lot of blood” at the scene.
Footage circulating after the emergency landing showed passengers visibly distressed as the aircraft descended. Other images showed people tending to the injured captain while crew members and passengers worked to bring the situation under control.
The chaos extended beyond the cockpit. With the aircraft losing altitude and the circumstances unclear, passengers were left confronting the possibility that they might not survive the flight.
The reported actions of those who intervened would prove critical.
Passengers and Crew Help Regain Control
According to accounts reported by Fox News and other outlets, passengers and crew members intervened during the confrontation.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu subsequently praised the people who helped subdue the alleged attacker and prevent a potential disaster.
Netanyahu said the aircraft’s passengers and crew acted courageously during the emergency. According to his account, people aboard managed to enter the cockpit, overpower the suspected assailant and help restore control of the aircraft.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz characterized the incident as an attempted terrorist attack. However, that characterization represents the Israeli government’s assessment; Flydubai has not publicly confirmed that terrorism was the motive.
The airline said its own crew members who were traveling aboard the flight secured the aircraft before diverting it to Saudi Arabia. The plane then landed safely at Tabuk Airport.
The distinction matters as investigators work to establish exactly what happened, why the confrontation began and whether the alleged attacker intended to bring down the aircraft.
Israeli Officials Investigate Possible Terrorism
The possibility of a deliberate attack has placed the incident under heightened scrutiny.
Israeli officials are examining whether the reported stabbing was part of an attempted hijacking or a broader act of terrorism. The aircraft was carrying passengers traveling to Israel, making the circumstances particularly concerning for Israeli authorities.
The emergency also highlighted the challenges of responding to a threat originating inside the cockpit, where pilots are responsible for maintaining control of the aircraft.
While reinforced cockpit doors are designed to protect flight crews from outside interference, a confrontation involving a member of the flight crew presents a different set of risks.
Investigators will need to establish how the altercation began, what happened to the aircraft’s controls during the descent, and how the passengers and crew were able to intervene.
As of the latest reports, the motive behind the incident remains unclear.
Flight Lands Safely After Midair Emergency
Despite the frightening ordeal, the aircraft reached Tabuk safely, bringing the immediate danger to an end.
Flydubai confirmed that an altercation had occurred in the flight deck and said the plane had been secured by crew members aboard the aircraft. The airline also said passengers and crew members were safe and accounted for.
The captain and co-pilot were among those reported injured and were taken for medical attention, according to reports from Saudi Arabia.
For the passengers, the safe landing marked the end of an experience that many described as terrifying.
What began as a routine journey from Dubai to Tel Aviv had become a desperate struggle aboard a plunging aircraft. The reported cockpit stabbing, the sudden loss of altitude and the intervention of people aboard have made the incident the focus of an international investigation.
Authorities now face the task of determining whether the attack was an attempted act of terrorism, as Israeli officials suspect, or whether another motive was involved.
For now, the central facts remain stark: a violent confrontation occurred aboard an Israel-bound Flydubai flight, the aircraft plunged thousands of feet, and an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia brought the flight to a safe conclusion.
The investigation is ongoing, and the motive behind the cockpit confrontation has not been conclusively established.
