Israeli Passenger Recounts Bloody Attack on Pilot During Flight

A Flydubai flight en route from the UAE made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia following a violent incident onboard, during which a passenger allegedly stabbed the pilot. Miriam, an Israeli passenger on the Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft, described the terrifying moments to i24NEWS. "We heard screams on the plane. Then they opened the cockpit door, we saw quantities of blood, and someone stabbed the pilot with a knife," she recounted. "We felt we were about to crash, I screamed 'Shema Yisrael'." She added that a doctor and nurse onboard provided initial treatment to the pilot, and Israeli passengers, along with the crew, "neutralized the attacker."

The incident occurred minutes after takeoff, causing the aircraft to deviate from its flight path and descend rapidly to approximately 15,000 feet, transmitting distress signals. Initial assessments suggest a physical altercation between crew members, though the full cause remains under investigation. Unverified speculation circulated online that the pilot intentionally tried to crash the plane.

Following the emergency landing in Saudi Arabia, around 180 Israeli passengers remain at the airport in the kingdom as of now, awaiting further arrangements after the unexpected diversion.