Flight Data Reveals Terrifying 4.3km Dive on Flydubai Plane

Technical data from the Flydubai flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv has revealed the extreme danger passengers faced when the Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft plunged over 4.3 kilometers in less than 30 seconds. The plane dropped from approximately 30,875 feet to 16,750 feet in just 29 seconds, with an average descent rate of 29,000 feet per minute and a peak rate of 32,600 feet per minute. High ground speed reached 598 knots, or about 1,107 km/h. Images taken after the emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, showed significant damage to the aircraft's rudder.

The data raises the question of how passengers were not thrown to the ceiling during the steep dive. Aviation physics explains that the plane was moving forward at high speed, so the descent was a sharp tilt of the entire aircraft, approximately 30 degrees downward. Since passengers, seats, and the plane moved as one unit, there was no relative freefall within the cabin. The more dangerous phase for passengers occurred when the plane leveled off after the dive, creating positive G-forces that pressed passengers firmly into their seats.

The incident occurred when the Omani co-pilot, Homaam Al-Hamami, attacked the Indian captain, Smith Machar, with a knife and began to dive the plane. The injured captain managed to open the cockpit door, allowing four Israeli passengers, Yaniv Hayon, Dr. Shota Musaev, Zvika Mans, and Assaf Rejwan, to enter and subdue the attacker. Despite the severe damage to the rudder, experts state that pilots can use other controls like ailerons, spoilers, and differential engine thrust to maneuver the aircraft, a complex task that ultimately led to a safe landing in Tabuk.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with Captain Machar, calling him a hero and officially inviting him to light an Independence Day torch. Meanwhile, an Israeli investigation team has arrived in the UAE to question the Omani pilot, who was transferred there from Saudi Arabia. Reports indicate that Israel received the flight's crew and passenger list in advance but did not conduct a thorough intelligence check.