Flydubai flight FDB1073 issued an emergency code 7700 earlier today while en route from Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), to Tel Aviv, Israel. The activation of signal 7700 by the pilot indicates a potential hijacking or unlawful interference.

The aircraft was carrying approximately 180 passengers, including dozens of Israeli citizens.

Public data sources indicate that approximately 2 hours 15 minutes after takeoff, the aircraft suddenly pitched down sharply, descending from about 10,000 meters to 5,000 meters in less than one minute, while accelerating from 760 km/h to 1,100 km/h.

The plane then regained altitude to about 6,600 meters within seconds, before pitching down again to just over 4,200 meters.

A passenger's shirt on the flydubai flight stained with blood after the incident on 30/9. Photo: X/Amichai Stein

For the next one hour, the aircraft failed to maintain a stable altitude, mostly flying at around 4,500 meters. This suggests the plane may have been under manual control rather than using autopilot.

Israeli officials were unable to establish contact with the aircraft during the incident. The Israeli Air Force scrambled fighter jets to monitor the situation, fearing a potential hijacking. Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu and senior military officials also convened meetings to assess the situation.

However, shortly thereafter, the pilot re-established contact with ground control, and the aircraft made an emergency landing at Tabuk airport in Saudi Arabia. Israeli officials stated that the emergency signal was issued following an altercation in the cockpit between the captain and the co-pilot.

A senior Israeli official told Channel 12 that "the worst disaster was averted," and the co-pilot is under investigation for allegedly attempting to seize control of the aircraft and crash it.

Several Israeli passengers recounted scenes of panic as the plane plummeted, reporting blood in the cockpit and a pilot being stabbed with a folding knife. Some Israeli passengers reportedly assisted crew members in subduing the co-pilot.

"Screams erupted on the plane. Then, they opened the cockpit door, and we saw blood, and one person stabbed the pilot with a folding knife. We just prayed. At one point, we thought we wouldn't survive," a female passenger stated.

Another passenger said that cabin passengers helped subdue the co-pilot, while the captain was seriously injured and lost control of the plane. "The plane started diving very fast. That was truly terrifying," the passenger added.

A flydubai passenger plane flying over Ben Gurion international airport in central Israel on 9/9. Photo: Flash90

Channel 12 reported that a group of off-duty pilots on board the flight assisted in controlling the aircraft for the emergency landing. An Israeli official stated that if these pilots had not been on the plane, the incident could have ended "like 9/11," referring to the 2001 attack by hijackers on the World Trade Center towers in the US.

Huyen Le (According to Times of Israel, Channel 12)