‘Screams, blood in cockpit’: New details emerge from FlyDubai flight FZ1073 mid-air ordeal

Screams from the cockpit, a reported stabbing and a sudden plunge in altitude: new accounts are emerging about the dramatic events aboard FlyDubai flight FZ1073 before it made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia.

The Dubai-to-Tel Aviv flight was carrying around 180 people when a violent confrontation between the pilots unfolded mid-air, according to accounts cited by Israeli officials and media. Passengers reportedly heard screams and shouting from the cockpit, while one account said a pilot was seen with blood on him after a knife was allegedly used during the struggle.

The aircraft eventually landed safely at Tabuk airport in Saudi Arabia, but the circumstances surrounding the incident remain under investigation.

An Israeli official told i24NEWS that one pilot stabbed the other and attempted to take control of the aircraft. According to the official, the fight inside the cockpit sent the plane into a dive of around 4,000 metres.

The official said Israeli passengers, assisted by other pilots who happened to be travelling on the aircraft, managed to overpower the attacker.

The motive remains unclear. The possibilities being examined reportedly include an attempt to divert the aircraft to Israel, deliberately crash it, or carry out an attack similar to the September 11, 2001 attacks. The official claimed that what was clear was the pilot's intention to hijack the aircraft.

However, this account has not been independently verified. An Israeli official separately told Reuters that the emergency signals were triggered after a physical altercation between the pilots. In contrast, the Israeli prime minister's office said the incident was not believed to have been a hijacking.

Passengers heard screams as aircraft plunged

Passengers aboard the flight described a terrifying scene after the confrontation began.

Yasmin Abu Kasis, whose daughter Miriam was on the flight, told Reuters that her daughter heard screaming and was told that a man had taken a knife, forced a pilot to the floor and that there was blood.

Israeli media reports have also carried accounts of passengers seeing blood inside the cockpit and helping crew members restrain the person involved.

The accounts provide a glimpse into what happened inside the aircraft but have not yet been independently verified as a complete reconstruction of the incident.

Flight-tracking data showed the aircraft undergoing an unusually rapid descent. Reuters reported that the Boeing 737 descended about 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds, while other flight-tracking accounts recorded a descent from roughly 33,000 feet to 17,000 feet before the aircraft eventually diverted towards Tabuk.

Emergency codes triggered hijacking fears

The flight transmitted the international emergency code 7700 and later sent the 7500 code, which is associated with hijacking or unlawful interference.

The second signal prompted an immediate security response in Israel, with fighter jets scrambled while authorities tried to determine what was happening aboard the aircraft.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz held security consultations as the incident unfolded. The Israeli military leadership also held separate discussions with security officials.

The prime minister's office later said the situation was under control and that efforts were being made to return the Israeli passengers safely to Israel.