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MakoSecurity

Israeli Officials Suspect Pilot Attempted 9/11-Style Attack on Flydubai Flight

Translated & summarized from Mako by baba

CenterCharged tone

Hebrew · 21 newsrooms covering

An Israeli official stated a co-pilot on a Flydubai flight to Israel stabbed the pilot and attempted to crash the plane, in an incident being investigated as a potential terror attack. Passengers and crew subdued the attacker, and the plane landed safely in Saudi Arabia.

The story in 5 lines · by baba

  • Co-pilot allegedly stabbed pilot and tried to crash flight to Israel.
  • Passengers and crew subdued the attacker, preventing disaster.
  • Incident is being investigated as a potential terror attack.
  • Plane landed safely in Saudi Arabia after brief radar disappearance.
  • Additional pilots aboard helped regain control of the aircraft.
Israeli Officials Suspect Pilot Attempted 9/11-Style Attack on Flydubai Flight
Editorial illustration generated by baba News, not a photograph of the event.

An Israeli official revealed that a co-pilot on a Flydubai flight en route to Israel stabbed the pilot and attempted to crash the plane, in what is being investigated as a potential terror attack. Passengers and crew members reportedly intervened, storming the cockpit to subdue the assailant and prevent the aircraft from crashing. The incident prompted an urgent security and political response in Israel, including the scrambling of fighter jets.

The flight, carrying over 100 Israelis, disappeared from radar for approximately 30 minutes around 9:00 AM after an apparent hijacking signal was received. The plane eventually landed safely in Saudi Arabia at 10:00 AM, after which Israeli airspace reopened. Israeli security forces are investigating the co-pilot, believed to be from a Gulf state, as a potential terrorist, though a mental health episode is also being considered.

An Israeli official described the event as a near-catastrophe, stating, "One pilot stabbed the other and tried to do a 9/11. Either hijack the plane to our country or crash it. The plane began to dive." He credited additional pilots on board, traveling as passengers during a routine training exercise, with subduing the attacker and stabilizing the aircraft, averting a "dramatic disaster."

Flydubai confirmed that a fight among the flight crew caused the incident. The suspected co-pilot is currently under investigation, with mounting evidence suggesting an intent to crash the plane with all its passengers.

MakoCentre · Neve Ilan

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