Pilot Stabs Co-Pilot and Apparently Tries to Crash Israel-Bound Flight, Netanyahu Says

A pilot on a flight from the United Arab Emirates to Israel stabbed the other pilot and apparently attempted to crash the aircraft while it was carrying around 170 passengers and crew members, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday. Passengers and crew members intervened and subdued the attacker, and the plane later landed safely in Saudi Arabia.

The FlyDubai flight issued an emergency alert and suddenly descended thousands of feet as it approached Israel. Israeli authorities scrambled fighter jets amid concerns that the incident could have been an attempted hijacking.

Passengers described moments of panic during the flight. Passenger Naama Bershadski said she feared they were going to die and closed her eyes while praying for a safe outcome.

Videos circulating on social media and reviewed by The Associated Press showed two bloodied and injured men lying on the aircraft floor. Other passengers appeared to be providing medical assistance, while some guarded the cockpit.

“We are guarding the pilot,” one person could be heard saying in Hebrew in one of the videos.

Netanyahu said the passengers and crew members who intervened had “saved many lives” and prevented a major disaster. He said Saudi Arabia had arrested a pilot, although authorities did not immediately release the person’s identity.

Saudi authorities did not immediately comment on the incident.

According to a statement from Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Tabuk, carried by Saudi state-run Al-Ekhbariya television, both the captain and first officer were injured.

A regional official said passengers received medical attention from local authorities. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media.

It remained unclear what motivated the attack.

Source: The Associated Press (AP)