A Pilot Allegedly Stabbed Another Pilot Mid-Flight, and the Plane Had to Land

Flydubai Flight 1073 had to make an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia after one pilot allegedly stabbed the other pilot in the cockpit on a flight from the United Arab Emirates to Israel.

The plane was flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv with about 180 people on board. The diversion was first reported Sept. 30, with more details published Oct. 1 Washington Post. It landed in Saudi Arabia after the alleged attack in the cockpit Guardian.

During the alleged attack, the plane dropped about 17,000 feet in just two minutes. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said a pilot tried to crash or take control of the flight after the stabbing. Israel said passengers stopped the attempt to crash the plane Reuters. A pilot was arrested for stabbing the other pilot CNN. He was taken into custody after landing.

Passenger Yaniv Hayoun said he grabbed the attacker around the neck and dragged him out of the cockpit. Hayoun said the attacker was trying to break the instruments to disable the plane. Crew and passengers held the suspect in the cabin until the plane was on the ground.

Israeli officials said the accused pilot was a citizen of Oman. The Israeli embassy in Australia confirmed to the Guardian that the two Australians on board were a Jewish couple from Sydney. Israel's ambassador to Australia, Hillel Newman, said heightened security alerts were issued after the attack. About 12,000 Australians live in Israel and 25,000 live in the United Arab Emirates.

The broader context here is why several countries are now involved at once. The plane is registered in the UAE, it landed in Saudi Arabia, it was headed to Israel, the accused pilot is described as Omani, and Australians on board need help from their government. Investigators will look at pilot background checks, rules for cockpit entry and what to do if a pilot cannot fly, the black boxes that record flight data and cockpit sound like a memory for the plane, and the legal power to hold and question someone after an emergency landing. For Canberra, the near-term job is to support the Australians and work with Israeli and Saudi officials, while aviation experts will focus on how control was lost, how it was regained, and how actions in the cockpit and cabin helped.