Passengers Intervene After Bloody Clash in Cockpit on Israel-Bound Flight

The pilot and co-pilot of a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv were hospitalized with injuries after the plane made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia, Saudi officials said. The episode raised fears of a hijacking, though it was not immediately clear what had prompted the clash.

A clash in the cockpit of a commercial jet flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv on Wednesday caused the plane to plunge near the Saudi-Jordanian border before passengers on the flight intervened to subdue the attacker, according to accounts from people on board. Officials of three Israeli government agencies said it appeared that the pilot and co-pilot had gotten into a fight and one of them sent a distress signal before the planed landed at a civil-military airport in Tabuk, in northwestern Saudi Arabia. They spoke on condition of anonymity to disclose what they knew about the episode. The cause of the clash was not immediately clear.

Passengers described a melee that left at least one crew member bleeding and that ended when some of them stepped in. Social media videos that appeared to be from the plane’s cabin show a wounded man and others on board covered in blood.

The pilot and co-pilot were hospitalized in Saudi Arabia after sustaining injuries, according to a statement from officials at Tabuk airport. The airport had received a distress call from the flight, which then made an emergency landing in Tabuk at 9:45 a.m. local time, it said. The airport had coordinated with FlyDubai to secure a replacement aircraft, it added.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel held consultations over the incident and was “monitoring developments,” his office said in a statement. “The incident is under control, and all measures are currently being deployed in order to return the Israeli passengers safely to Israel,” the statement added.

The plane, FlyDubai Flight 1073, sent distress signals and abruptly reversed course near the Saudi-Jordanian border about two hours and fifteen minutes into its trip. Israeli officials said it was carrying between 160 and 180 passengers.

The Israeli air force briefly scrambled fighter jets but turned them back before they reached Saudi airspace, the military said.

Flightradar24, a flight tracking service, reported that the plane had sent a general emergency signal, then a signal of unlawful interference, and then a general emergency signal again. Flight tracking websites show that the plane was cruising at an altitude of 34,000 feet when it suddenly descended to 15,000 feet in just 12 minutes before leveling off.

The Israeli authorities were investigating whether the episode was an attempted attack on Israelis, among other lines of inquiry, according to two Israeli security officials who spoke on condition of anonymity in accordance with government protocol.

The Israeli military’s chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, met with top air force, intelligence and operations officials about the incident, the military said.

FlyDubai said in a statement that the flight “experienced an incident while en route,” adding that all passengers were “safe and accounted for” and that it was “working closely with the relevant authorities.”

The Israeli authorities are investigating whether the altercation aboard the FlyDubai flight was an attempted attack on Israelis, among other lines of inquiry, according to two Israeli security officials. They spoke on condition of anonymity in accordance with government protocol. They did not immediately provide further details.

The Shin Bet, Israel’s domestic intelligence agency, will be responsible for questioning passengers on FlyDubai flight 1073 after they return to Israel, according to two Israeli security officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive details.