Omani co-pilot accused in attempted Flydubai plane incident: Israeli media

Israeli media have revealed new details about a Flydubai aircraft incident on a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv, which was forced to divert and land in the Saudi city of Tabuk after sending emergency signals that initially raised fears of a possible hijacking.

According to Israel's Channel 14, the co-pilot holds Omani citizenship, while the captain is Emirati. Channel 12 quoted an Israeli source saying authorities are investigating how the Omani pilot was cleared to fly to Israel as part of the crew.

Emergency signals spark alarm

The aircraft, carrying around 174 passengers including 27 children, had departed Dubai bound for Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv.

About 90 minutes after takeoff, while flying over Jordanian airspace, the plane transmitted the emergency code "7700," followed minutes later by "7500," which signals a possible unlawful interference with the aircraft.

Flight tracking data showed the plane suddenly changed course toward Saudi Arabia, descending sharply before continuing over Saudi territory and landing safely at Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Airport in Tabuk.

The emergency signals triggered a state of alert in Israel, with two fighter jets dispatched to escort the plane. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yisrael Katz held urgent security consultations.

Initially, there were fears the plane had been hijacked, especially as communication with the captain was lost and a code indicating unlawful interference was activated.

Cockpit dispute reported

However, an Israeli official later clarified that the incident was not a hijacking but, according to the Israeli account, stemmed from a dispute between the pilots in the cockpit.

In a new development, the newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth claimed the Omani co-pilot attempted to crash the plane, but the Emirati captain managed to subdue him with help from the crew.

Israeli media reports said the dispute escalated into a physical altercation, with one pilot losing consciousness while the other regained control of the aircraft and diverted it to Saudi Arabia.

Reports added that the incident was confined to the cockpit and no passengers were injured.

According to the reports, flight data showed the plane descended rapidly from over 30,000 feet to about 16,750 feet in a short period, with sharp altitude fluctuations before stabilizing and heading to Saudi Arabia.