Co-Pilot Attempted to Crash Flydubai Jet After Failing to Reach Israel

An Omani co-pilot, after assaulting the Indian captain and realizing his plan to crash a Flydubai flight into Israel had failed, attempted to crash the plane into the Saudi desert. An investigation by the Italian newspaper "Corriere della Sera" revealed that the co-pilot disengaged the autopilot, pushed the controls forward forcefully, causing the aircraft to lose 16,000 feet in under a minute. The investigation also suggests the co-pilot may have shut down the plane's engines by cutting off fuel. Two captains analyzing passenger videos for the newspaper noted that emergency lights in the cabin suddenly illuminated. They explained that on Boeing 737 aircraft, these lights activate when the plane loses its primary power source and switches to battery, typically indicating the generators or engines have been shut down. The official investigation will examine whether the co-pilot moved the fuel switches to the off position. The investigation, based on passenger accounts, air traffic control data, and aviation experts, also found that one of the additional pilots who entered the cockpit transmitted the distress code. Initially, code 7700, indicating a general emergency, was broadcast, and air traffic control did not understand the nature of the incident. After seven minutes, the code was changed to 7500, signifying a hijacking. At this point, the plane was approaching Jordanian airspace, but air traffic controllers there instructed it to turn back. Seven minutes later, the aircraft was directed to an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.