A commercial plane traveling from the United Arab Emirates to Israel made a safe emergency landing in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, following harrowing minutes in which the co-pilot stabbed the captain and then tried to crash the jet, but was eventually subdued by passengers.
In his first statement on the incident, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu said that “one of the pilots stabbed the other and apparently attempted to crash the plane, with everyone on board."
In a video statement, Netanyahu said he spoke with one of the passengers who told him that “somehow, he managed to break into the cockpit with one of the crew members, and together they subdued the pilot who had committed the stabbing while he was attempting to sabotage the aircraft's systems" and that "another flight crew member entered the cockpit and managed to stabilize the plane."
"I salute these heroes who demonstrated resourcefulness and extraordinary courage. They saved many lives and averted a terrible disaster," the Israeli prime minister said, adding that almost all of the passengers on the flight were Israelis.
He also announced that “the pilot who committed the stabbing has been arrested and is currently being interrogated by Saudi authorities."
Later on Wednesday, Netanyahu hailed Indian captain Smit Machchaar as “a true hero” for “his extraordinary bravery” in “preventing a catastropic mid-air disaster.”
“Despite being stabbed and seriously injured, he fought back, resisted, opened the cockpit door, and enabled passengers and crew to overpower the attacker,” Netanyahu said.
The Israeli prime minister did not comment on a possible terror link, while Israel's security agencies continue their investigations.
The plane carrying 174 passengers, including 27 children, landed safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, a civilian and military base in the kingdom, as passengers described harrowing scenes onboard of fighting and blood in the cockpit followed by a steep dive and erratic flying movement.
Around two and a half hours after departing from Dubai, the flydubai plane transmitted a 7700 general emergency signal followed by 7500, the international code for unlawful interference or hijacking, according to flight tracking Flightradar24 portal, prompting Israeli fighter jets to scramble.
Flightradar24 showed the Boeing 737 abruptly descending from 33,000 feet to 17,000 feet in under 1 minute, before making an erratic circle close to the Jordanian border and eventually landing in Tabuk.
The aircraft’s climb and descent as well as its reported high speed are consistent with a struggle for controls.
Israeli media quoted passengers and Israeli officials stating that a fight broke out in the cockpit between the two pilots and one of them was stabbed. The captain was able to open the cockpit door which allowed crew and passengers to enter and subdue the co-pilot.
Two off-duty pilots who were among the passengers on the flight took control of the plane and landed it safely, according to multiple Israeli media reports.
Passengers told Israel’s Channel 12 that they heard shouts of the altercation between the pilots and the plane dipped steeply.
Another passenger told Israel’s Channel 15 that when the cockpit door was opened, passengers saw blood inside and they intervened to stop the fight between the pilots. According to the same passenger, one of the pilots was inured with a folding knife.
Others described the chaotic scenes onboard, with passengers shouting in fear for their lives during the steep dive and then as the plane engaged into its emergency landing.
Channel 12 Israel interviewed another passenger who said her husband helped “neutralize the terrorist” onboard as he “tried to crash the plane,” but was subdued by the passengers. “There were stabbings and a lot of blood,” the passenger said.
Israeli media published a photo purportedly taken inside the plane appearing to show a passenger in a blood stained shirt as well as a video showing the injured pilot on the floor covered in blood as crew and passengers try to help him. Other videos showed passengers stained with blood.
Multiple Israeli media outlets reported on sources that the co-pilot is believed to be a national of Oman.
A photo of the plane on the tarmac taken by the disembarking passengers showed damage to the rudder likely caused by the aircraft's rapid descent.
According to a statement released by Tabuk airport, both pilots were being treated in hospital.
The stranded passengers at Tabuk airport hailed the care they received from the Saudi authorities. They later boarded a replacement flydubai plane which flew them to Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion airport on Wednesday evening, after Saudi Arabia declined Israel's request to send their own military transport planes. Some passengers initially refused to board the replacement flydubai plane.
The passengers posted videos on social media showing them celebrating their arrival in Israel after their ordeal.
Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed them at the airport upon their arrival in Tel Aviv, with passenger Yaniv Hayun still in his blood stained clothes telling the prime minister that the captain was able to open the cockpit door before collapsing, which allowed him and other passengers to enter and subdue the attacking co-pilot.
Flydubai confirmed in a statement on Wednesday that "a confrontation occurred in the cockpit of the flight," and that "the crew operating the aircraft managed to take control of the situation, divert the plane and land it safely at the airport in Tabuk."
"At this early stage the reasons and motives behind the incident are not known and remain subject to an official investigation. The airline called on all parties to refrain from early speculation while the authorities gather the facts," the airline stated.
Netanyahu has warned in recent days of unspecified, escalated security threats and on Wednesday ordered a reinforced security over Israeli aviation.
Israel has not experienced a hijacking in decades but maintains some of the strictest airport security in the world.
