- Israeli website Ynet reports that the captain was Indian and fought an Omani co-pilot suspected of trying to crash the plane.
- The flight dropped about 17,000 feet in a minute before diverting to Tabuk in Saudi Arabia.
- Netanyahu says the alleged attacker has been arrested and is being questioned by Saudi authorities.
- Flydubai has not confirmed either pilot's identity or nationality.
THE CAPTAIN of a flydubai flight who fought with his co-pilot during a violent cockpit confrontation was an Indian national, according to the Israeli news website Ynet.
Citing Israeli officials, Ynet reported on Wednesday that the co-pilot, an Omani national, was suspected of trying to crash the aircraft and that the captain fought him to stop it. Israeli passengers later helped subdue the co-pilot, the report said.
Flydubai has not released the pilots' identities or nationalities, and the reports have not been independently confirmed. Other Israeli media have reported that one pilot was Omani and the other Emirati.
Flight FZ1073 was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv with mostly Israeli passengers. It sent out emergency signals and descended sharply before diverting to Tabuk in Saudi Arabia, where it landed at 9.45am local time (6.45am GMT).
Both pilots were injured and taken to hospital, according to the company that operates Tabuk airport. None of the passengers reported injuries.
Flydubai said the aircraft had "experienced an incident while en route" and that all passengers were "safe and accounted for". The airline said it was cooperating with the relevant authorities.
Netanyahu hails 'heroes'
In a video message, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said one of the pilots had stabbed the other as the plane approached Israel and "apparently tried to crash the plane with everyone on board".
He said he had spoken to an Israeli passenger who broke into the cockpit as the plane began to plummet and fought the pilot.
"Another air crew member who was on the plane entered the cockpit and managed to stabilise the aircraft," Netanyahu said.
"I salute these heroes, who showed extraordinary resourcefulness and courage. They saved many lives; they prevented a major disaster."
Netanyahu said the pilot who allegedly stabbed his colleague had been arrested and was being questioned by Saudi authorities.
Defence Minister Israel Katz described the incident as "an attempted jihadist terror attack" that was thwarted by Israeli passengers. He did not say what his assessment of the pilot's motive was based on. National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir also alleged an attempted "terrorist" attack.
Israel's Channel 12 reported that investigators were examining whether one of the pilots had attempted suicide by trying to crash the plane.
'People thought they were going to die'
Passenger Miryam Shira Ohayon said the plane was "pretty much out of control" when one pilot tried to stab the other as they flew over Jordan.
"It was really on the way to crashing, and it was simply the resourcefulness of many people who took control of the co-pilot and neutralised him," she told reporters by speakerphone, which her mother held up at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv.
She said a doctor on board had given first aid to both pilots.
Her mother, Yasmin Abukasis, told AFP that another passenger had gone to the cockpit, "saw a lot of blood" and screamed for help. Others then went in and restrained the man.
"All the while, the plane started going down very fast. People thought they were going to die," she said.
Data from the Flightradar tracking website showed the aircraft dropping from nearly 34,000 feet to below 17,000 feet in about a minute, between 5.21am and 5.22am GMT.
Israeli media reported that two other pilots travelling as passengers took over the controls and carried out the emergency landing. Photos sent by passengers showed travellers, including children, gathered in an airport lounge in Tabuk, with one man's T-shirt and jeans stained with blood.
Israel's public broadcaster Kan and Channel 12 reported that the military had scrambled fighter jets amid fears of a hijacking.
Pre-election tensions
The incident comes amid high tensions across the Middle East since the regional war that erupted in late February with US-Israeli strikes on Iran. It also comes less than a month before Israel's October 27 election.
On Tuesday, Netanyahu warned there were "indications" that Israel's enemies could attempt attacks before the vote. Opposition leader Yair Lapid accused him of fear-mongering.
Katz responded with a veiled swipe at Lapid, saying security warnings should be taken seriously by "both our enemies outside and former insiders who are not up to date".
Netanyahu said he had instructed the security services to prepare for further potential threats. The incident remains under investigation.
(With inputs from agencies)
