"Following an assessment of the situation by the leaders of the IDF, the Shin Bet and the Mossad, the belief is spreading in Israel that the Flydubai plane crash was a terrorist attack ": this is what the Israeli media write, referring to what happened on the flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv , which was forced to make an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia after moments of real terror.
According to a new reconstruction, there was a violent fight in the cockpit between the two pilots, who were not of Russian and Ukrainian origin as initially emerged, but rather an Emirati and an Omani . The latter attempted to crash the plane, while the other attempted to prevent it . According to the passengers' accounts, there was also a stabbing . Also according to the accounts, during the heated confrontation, which was ended by the intervention of some Israeli passengers, the plane rapidly lost altitude until it nosedived, and control was then providentially regained by a team of pilots who were on board for a transfer.
In a dramatic video posted by a passenger , the captain is seen on the ground between the cockpit and the corridor, covered in blood , wearing an oxygen mask, but alert and with his eyes open. Further away, the injured co-pilot and one of the Israeli passengers who stopped the attacker are seen screaming for help.
An Israeli official told Channel 12: "A catastrophe was averted at the last minute. One pilot stabbed the other and was trying to replicate 9/11 , by hijacking the plane or crashing it."
"I pay tribute to the heroes aboard the flight from Dubai, who demonstrated readiness, courage, and resourcefulness . I have instructed the security apparatus to prepare to deal with any further threats," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, commenting on the incident.
Saudi Arabia's Tabuk Airport, where the emergency landing occurred, issued a statement, explaining: "Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Tabuk announces that its air traffic control center has received a distress call from Flydubai flight FZ1073, requesting an emergency landing at the airport. The request was received at 8:44 a.m. local time on Wednesday, September 30, 2026. A state of emergency was declared at the airport and the necessary means were arranged to assist the aircraft. The aircraft landed safely at 9:45 a.m. local time. Both the captain and co-pilot were found to have sustained injuries and were taken to hospital for necessary medical treatment. Meanwhile, passengers in the terminal have been provided with the necessary assistance, and coordination is underway with the airline to arrange a replacement aircraft."
(Unioneonline)
