Flydubai flight carrying 174 passengers from Dubai to Tel Aviv transmitted an emergency code signaling a hijacking, lost altitude sharply and abruptly changed course toward Saudi Arabia on Wednesday morning before landing safely at Tabuk airport, according to reports.
Israeli fighter jets took off as a precaution while the aircraft was off course.
The hijacking scenario was quickly ruled out. Early reports said a violent fight between the two pilots caused the disruption, and passengers later described the critical minutes of the flight after the plane landed, corroborating those accounts.
Passengers posted video from inside the aircraft on social media in which screaming can be heard.
One passenger told Israeli media she heard shouting on the plane. “Then (passengers) opened the cockpit door and we saw blood,” she said. “Someone stabbed the pilot with a small knife.”
The account could not be independently verified, and it was not immediately clear who was involved or how seriously anyone was hurt. Flydubai did not immediately comment in the material provided.
