Passengers Thwart Pilot's Attempted Hijacking and Crash

A Flydubai flight en route to Israel experienced a harrowing incident when a co-pilot, identified as Omani, allegedly stabbed the captain and attempted to crash the plane. Passenger Yitzhak Liber recounted the terrifying moments, describing the cabin filled with blood and the struggle to subdue the assailant. "We jumped and took him out of the cockpit. The terrorist is neutralized. There is a seriously injured pilot and another injured pilot who managed to land the plane," Liber said in a video posted after the emergency landing in Saudi Arabia. He added that passengers and crew acted heroically to prevent a catastrophe.

Another passenger, heard in a separate video, stated, "We are guarding the cockpit door. No one enters." The video showed the assailant after he was also injured during the confrontation with those who stopped him. An Israeli official told N12 that the co-pilot "tried to do a 9/11," aiming to either hijack the plane to Israel or crash it, and that a dramatic disaster was averted.

Authorities in Israel are investigating how the Omani co-pilot was cleared to fly to Israel, given the stringent security checks required for foreign crew members, especially from Arab nations. The injured captain was taken for medical treatment in Saudi Arabia following the landing in Tabuk. The incident highlights significant security concerns regarding air travel and personnel vetting.