Passengers aboard a Boeing 737 heading to Tel Aviv, Israel, braced themselves when the plane suddenly plunged by 16,000 feet over an alleged hijacking attempt.
A co-pilot stabbed the other pilot on the flight in a 9/11-style attempt to take control of the plane, according to law enforcement officials.
‘We’re here during the hijacking of an airplane. At this point, we’ve subdued the terrorists.’
Some of the 174 passengers of the plane, which took off from the United Arab Emirates, recorded cellphone video of the harrowing incident.
“We’re here during the hijacking of an airplane. At this point, we’ve subdued the terrorists,” said one passenger on his video.
Some of the videos show passengers with blood on their clothing from confronting the alleged attacker. A passenger said cabin crew and passengers rushed to stop the attack.
“We were either going to crash or be murdered,” said another passenger to I24 News. “It was like a terrorist attack in mid-air.”
A flydubai spokesperson said in a statement that following the “altercation in the flight deck,” the “on-duty flydubai crew travelling on the flight … diverted and landed the aircraft safely at Tabuk Airport.”
“At this early stage, the underlying reasons and motives behind this event are unknown and remain subject to a formal investigation. We urge all parties to refrain from premature speculation while authorities gather the facts,” the flydubai statement added.
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Photo by Mehmet Yaren Bozgun/Anadolu via Getty Images
Sources told the Jerusalem Post that the alleged co-pilot terrorist is believed to be from Oman.
Photos showed that the rudder on the plane was damaged during the landing, which was completed by two off-duty European pilots, the New York Post reported.
“Someone shouted ‘stabbing,’ and my husband understood what was happening and rushed to the front of the plane,” a passenger said. “Along with other Israelis, they neutralized the terrorist.”
The flight was diverted and landed in Saudi Arabia.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that “all passengers are out of danger” and that “the pilot who stabbed them has been arrested and is currently being questioned by the Saudi authorities.”
Some of the videos from passengers can be viewed on social media.
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