Suspicion grows: Omani co-pilot may have tried to crash Israel-bound flight

A disturbing incident unfolded on a Flydubai flight bound for Tel Aviv, as passengers recounted how they intervened during a knife attack in the cockpit. The plane, en route from Dubai, was reportedly hijacked by one of the pilots, who was stabbed by an assailant. Both the captain and first officer sustained injuries and were rushed to the hospital upon the plane's emergency landing in Saudi Arabia.

Eyewitnesses described a harrowing scene, with "terrible screams throughout the plane" as three to five individuals stormed the cockpit and subdued the attacker. The brave passengers took control of the flight, reportedly "taking control of the flight" from the assailant wielding a knife. Meanwhile, two other pilots who were seated at the back reportedly joined in to help land the plane.

The emergency situation was triggered two hours into the flight when the plane signaled an emergency code, later upgraded to a hijacking code, before reverting to a general emergency signal. The aircraft plummeted 17,000 feet (5,200 meters) within minutes, raising concerns about the severity of the attacker's actions. Flydubai dispatched a recovery plane to Tabuk airport to retrieve the stranded passengers, which arrived at 12:43 BST (14:43 local time).