Dubai-Israel flight: Everything we know so far - pilot 'stabbed', hero Brit, and 'screams and blood'

Dubai-Israel flight: Everything we know so far - pilot 'stabbed', hero Brit, and 'screams and blood' Passengers have described screams, blood and panic after a reported fight between two pilots sparked a mid-air emergency - here's everything we know so far A passenger plane plunged 14,000ft in just 29 seconds after a fight reportedly broke out between two pilots. The terrifying incident unfolded on a FlyDubai flight carrying around 150 people from Dubai to Tel Aviv, with passengers said to have rushed the cockpit as chaos erupted on board. An emergency hijacking code was triggered following fears one of the pilots was trying to take control of the aircraft and crash it in a suspected terror attack. One pilot was reportedly stabbed during the ordeal and the pilot who carried out the stabbing has been arrested. The aircraft was eventually diverted to Saudi Arabia, while the accused pilot is said to be being questioned over the incident. Full timeline of pilots’ alleged brawl and stabbing The violent ordeal unfolded just over two hours into the flight, when a fight reportedly broke out between the two pilots. An Israeli official said one of them was armed with a knife. The co-pilot is believed to have stabbed the captain during the confrontation, according to Israeli officials, while both pilots were later confirmed to have suffered injuries. Footage reportedly filmed onboard showed two crew members covered in blood near the cockpit. Amid the chaos, passengers reportedly rushed towards the cockpit to intervene, with accounts suggesting the alleged attacker was subdued. Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed he spoke to one of the passengers involved. He said: “He told me that, somehow, he managed to break into the cockpit with one of the crew members and, together, they overpowered the pilot who had carried out the stabbing while he was attempting to sabotage the aircraft’s systems.” Two additional pilots who happened to be onboard were then said to have stepped in to help stabilise the aircraft. A passenger said: “There were two spare pilots who were supposed to operate the next flight. One of them was European and one of them was British. They entered, pulled the aircraft up, pulled the yoke, stabilised the plane and landed us in Saudi Arabia.” Netanyahu praised those who intervened, saying: “I salute these heroes who demonstrated extraordinary resourcefulness and courage. They saved many lives and prevented a major disaster.” The aircraft also suffered a dramatic loss of altitude during the emergency. Netanyahu said the passenger he spoke to told him the plane “went into a spin and began to descend”, although the exact sequence of events inside the cockpit and how they related to the aircraft’s movements remains unclear. Israeli authorities are investigating the incident as a suspected terror attack. Defence Minister Israel Katz said initial information indicated the alleged attacker intended to crash the plane with everyone onboard. The motive has not yet been publicly established by Saudi authorities or FlyDubai. Katz added: "When the Prime Minister and I issue security warnings and alerts based on intelligence, it would be wise for everyone - both our enemies from outside and the uninformed former officials from within - to listen and take it seriously." Both the captain and first officer were taken to hospital after the aircraft landed in Saudi Arabia. Airport officials confirmed both had been injured, but it is yet to be confirmed how they sustained their injuries. The alleged attacker has since been arrested. Netanyahu confirmed: “The pilot who carried out the stabbing was arrested and is currently being questioned by the Saudi authorities.” What happened before the plane was diverted? The plane dramatically lost more than 14,000ft in altitude during the mid-air emergency before eventually being diverted to Saudi Arabia. Flight-tracking data from Flightradar24 showed the Boeing 737 MAX 8 falling from 30,875ft to 16,750ft in just 29 seconds - a drop of 14,125ft. The aircraft initially transmitted code 7700, which signals a general emergency, before briefly switching to 7500 - a code associated with possible hijacking or unlawful interference with an aircraft. The alert prompted the immediate security response, which saw Israeli fighter jets scrambled fearing the plane had been hijacked. However, transmitting code 7500 does not itself confirm a hijacking took place. The aircraft later switched back to the general emergency code as it was travelled towards Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. The plane touched down safely at around 9.45am, where both the captain and first officer were taken to hospital with injuries. FlyDubai confirmed all passengers were safe and accounted for following the landing. A recovery aircraft was later reported to be heading to Tabuk to collect the passengers and take them on to Tel Aviv. Netanyahu’s office said the situation was under control and authorities were working to bring those onboard home. Passengers describe blood and terror as plane plunges toward ground Terrified passengers have recalled the moment panic erupted onboard causing the plane to sway from side to side and quickly lose altitude. One passenger, Noa, told Israel’s Channel 12: “The plane started to move from side to side. We realised that the pilots had lost control because one of the pilots had been stabbed. The plane went down and it was very scary.” She added: “It was very stressful. The plane just started to plummet. There was panic, but it’s okay, we landed and now everything is fine.” Another passenger described fearing they would not survive the ordeal, telling i24NEWS: “We heard screams and saw blood. The pilot was stabbed. There were moments when we thought we weren’t going to make it out alive.” Yasmin Abukasis, whose daughter was onboard, said she was told someone could be heard screaming “help!” as the plane appeared to lose control. Her daughter described passengers screaming in fear before two people, who she understood to be pilots, managed to regain control of the aircraft. Others reportedly tried to subdue an attacker on the floor amid scenes of blood and chaos. Passengers also reportedly sprang into action to help those injured. Miriam told i24NEWS that a nurse and doctor gave first aid to a pilot while other pilots onboard helped bring the situation under control. She said: “Those who took control of the incident were Israelis, a nurse and a doctor who gave first aid to the pilot and, thank God, there were several pilots on the plane who took control and we made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia.” Footage reportedly filmed onboard appeared to capture the aftermath near the cockpit, with two crew members seen covered in blood. Passengers could be seen tending to one crew member lying on the floor, while another appeared to be unconscious nearby.