A Dubai to Tel Aviv flight was forced to divert to Saudi Arabia after a violent fight broke out between the two pilots onboard. The incident unfolded early Wednesday when the aircraft began transmitting emergency signals while flying over Jordanian airspace.
According to flight tracking data from Flightradar24, the Boeing 737 operating as flight FZ1073 first sent a general emergency signal. Minutes later it transmitted a second signal that can indicate possible unlawful interference. The plane then switched back to the general emergency signal before landing safely at Tabuk airport in northwestern Saudi Arabia.
An Israeli official speaking on condition of anonymity told Reuters that the emergency signals were sent after the pilots got into a physical altercation with each other. It remains unclear whether either pilot intentionally activated the signals. Israeli fighter jets were scrambled in response, and the Israel Defence Forces confirmed the action to CNN.
Flight data reviewed by CNN showed the aircraft descending sharply from 34,000 feet to about 16,600 feet within two minutes around 1:20 a.m. ET. Three Israeli security officials earlier reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held urgent consultations over the situation. The military chief also conducted a situational assessment with the air force commander and other senior officers.
A passenger’s mother, Yasmin Abu Kasis, said her daughter Miriam, who was on the flight, described hearing screams. According to the account, a man grabbed a knife, forced one pilot to the floor, and there was blood visible inside the cockpit area. The airline later confirmed the flight experienced an incident en route to Tel Aviv and diverted to Tabuk. All passengers were reported safe and accounted for upon landing.
Israeli officials stressed the event was not a hijacking. The plane landed without further issues, and authorities continue to investigate the exact circumstances of the altercation between the pilots. The sharp descent and successive emergency signals created significant concern on the ground, prompting rapid military readiness measures. Passengers and crew remained unharmed, and the aircraft is now on the ground in Saudi Arabia while the full details of the in-flight fight are examined.
