Africa & World
Pilot arrested after alleged bid to crash Flydubai plane
A pilot on a Flydubai flight bound for Israel allegedly stabbed a fellow pilot and appeared to attempt to crash the aircraft before being overpowered by passengers and crew, the BBC has reported, citing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The aircraft, travelling from Dubai to…
Picture: Zambia Monitor
A pilot on a Flydubai flight bound for Israel allegedly stabbed a fellow pilot and appeared to attempt to crash the aircraft before being overpowered by passengers and crew, the BBC has reported, citing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The aircraft, travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv, plunged about 17,000 feet (5,200 metres) in less than two minutes before being diverted to Saudi Arabia, according to flight tracking data cited by the BBC
Netanyahu said passengers and crew members subdued the alleged attacker, who was later arrested by Saudi authorities.
He praised those who intervened, saying they had “saved many lives and prevented a major disaster.”
According to the BBC, one passenger described hearing “terrible screams throughout the plane” before several men rushed into the cockpit and restrained the attacker.
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Another passenger said those on board “took control of the flight” from “an assailant with a knife”, adding that two other qualified pilots who had been travelling as passengers came forward to safely land the aircraft.
The incident left many passengers fearing for their lives.
One passenger told Israeli media there were moments she believed the plane would crash.
Following the emergency diversion, most of the stranded passengers were flown to Israel aboard a replacement Flydubai flight, which landed safely at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv.
The BBC reported that Saudi Arabia had earlier declined an Israeli request to allow either a military or civilian aircraft to collect the passengers directly from the kingdom.
Israeli officials said the arrested pilot is being questioned by Saudi authorities, while Israel’s ambassador reportedly identified the injured pilot as a citizen of the United Arab Emirates.
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