The copilot who stabbed his colleague piloting a flydubai jet Wednesday has been arrested for trying to crash the packed passenger plane in “a jihadist terrorist attack,” Israeli leaders said.
The suspect, reportedly of Omani descent, stabbed the pilot and plotted to bring down the Boeing 737 Max jet with 174 people on board, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz confirmed in a statement.
“According to the initial information in our possession, the terrorist had one intention: to crash the plane with all its passengers,” he said.
A pilot looks at the camera as he is assisted by passengers after a stabbing in the cockpit. e2w
Benjamin Netanyahu provides an update following the stabbing on the Israel-bound plane, confirming that the pilot “was arrested and is currently being questioned.” Benjamin Netanyahu / X
Katz credited the fearless passengers on board for subduing the alleged attacker and saving the lives of the passengers, which included 27 children.
“The grave incident on the flydubai plane was a jihadist terrorist attack attempt, which was thwarted only thanks to the bravery of several Israeli passengers who broke into the cockpit, overpowered the terrorist and, with their own hands, restored control of the plane to another flight crew who was present there,” Katz said.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that the pilot “was arrested and is currently being questioned” in Saudi Arabia.
“During the flight, as they were approaching Israel, one of the pilots stabbed the other pilot and, apparently, tried to crash the plane with its passengers on board,” the Israeli leader said.
The plane then “went into a spin” — before a heroic passenger “managed to break into the cockpit” with a crew member, Netanyahu said.
“Together, they overpowered the pilot who had carried out the [attacker] while he was attempting to sabotage the aircraft’s systems. Another air crew who was on the plane entered the cockpit and managed to stabilise the aircraft,” he said.
A woman on an Israel-Dubai flight films the incident in the cockpit. East2West
“I salute these heroes who demonstrated extraordinary resourcefulness and courage. They saved many lives and prevented a major disaster.”
The terror started around two-and-a-half hours into the flight, which departed Dubai just before 7 a.m. local time.
After the attack, which occurred while the jet was cruising at 33,000 feet, it dropped in altitude to just 15,400 feet in under two minutes, according to FlightAware data.
A person with stab wounds is seen in a video from a passenger on the Israel-bound flight. A co-pilot stabbed a pilot on the plane. e2w
The flight landed safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia — a civilian and military base in the kingdom.
Several passengers who said they helped subdue the attacker shared videos on social media, including a desperate plea for help from a man with a bloody face, apparently from a head wound.
“We’re here during the hijacking of an airplane. At this point we’ve subdued the terrorists, we’re approaching landing. Whoever is hearing me, we need help,” he said in a first-person video posted on X.
Indian national Smit Machchhar, a flydubai captain was stabbed during the flight. Smit Machchhar / LinkedIn
Here’s the latest on the Israel-bound plane suspected terror attack:
The subdued copilot and gravely wounded pilot, both soaked in blood, were seen in another grisly video captured in the aircraft’s galley as several crew members tended to their injuries.
The copilot appeared unconscious and was tied up on the floor, his white uniform soaked through with blood.
Two off-duty pilots seated at the back of the aircraft who were scheduled to captain another flight later that day rushed to the cockpit to take control, one passenger told the BBC.
Israeli officials have launched a terrorism investigation into the incident.
Passengers who experienced an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia are emotional after they arrive safely at the airport. AP Photo/Ariel Schalit
A woman carries a dog after getting off the Israel-bound flight that made an emergency landing. REUTERS
People carrying Israeli flags gather at the arrivals gate to greet Israeli passengers who had been aboard the flydubai flight that landed in Saudi Arabia after a stabbing onboard. AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg
Two Israeli officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told Reuters that the current assessment is that the incident was an attempted “terror attack” and not related to any kind of mental health issue with either of the pilots.
Another Israeli official told Channel 12 that “one pilot stabbed the other and tried to do a 9/11.”