JUST IN: Cockpit Scuffle on FlyDubai Commercial Flight Sparks Hijack Alert: ‘Major Disaster Was Narrowly Avoided’

A FlyDubai flight bound for Tel Aviv was forced to land in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday after the commercial flight’s co-pilot reportedly stabbed the captain during a cockpit altercation and attempted to hijack the plane.

The aircraft was traveling from Dubai to Israel when it transmitted an emergency alert, and resulted in Israel scrambling fighter jets. The plane landed safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, and passengers on board were reportedly unharmed.

Israeli media, citing security officials, first reported that the emergency was caused by a physical altercation between the two pilots.

Israel’s Channel 12 later reported that the co-pilot “repeatedly stabbed” the captain.

“Once the attack began, several crew members and passengers managed to break through the cockpit door and subdue the attacker,” the network’s chief political analyst Amit Segal tweeted.

The Jerusalem Post also reported that during the fight to take down the attacker the aircraft plummeted almost 13,000 meters, further adding that the co-pilot “attempted to hijack the aircraft.”

An Israeli official initially told Reuters that the pilots had fought physically during the flight, while a regional official briefed on the incident told the Associated Press that a fight had broken out in the cockpit and apparently involved the pilots. The cause of the confrontation was not immediately clear.

Disturbing images circulating on social media and posted by Segal, reportedly from inside the cabin, show one passenger covered in blood while a video captures screams.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was updated on the situation as it unfolded, according to Reuters. His office later confirmed that the aircraft’s passengers were safe and that work was underway to bring the Israelis on board home.

“The incident is under control, and all measures are currently being deployed in order to return the Israeli passengers safely to Israel,” Netanyahu’s office said in a statement to The Jerusalem Post.

An Israeli official told the outlet that a “major disaster was narrowly avoided.”

This is a developing story and will be updated.

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