Flydubai flight diverted after crew member allegedly attacked captain

A Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv was diverted to Tabuk in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday morning after a crew member allegedly attacked the captain with a knife, according to Israeli media reports. The aircraft was a Boeing 737 Max registered A6-FKF, operating flight FZ1073 with 174 people on board.

It left Dubai International Airport at 07:05 and was due at Ben Gurion Airport around 09:30. It did not arrive. Over Jordanian airspace the aircraft sent the general emergency squawk 7700, then transponder code 7500, which signals unlawful interference and can be used in a hijacking. Contact with the cockpit was briefly lost. Israel scrambled two fighter jets.

The aircraft turned back toward Saudi Arabia and lost altitude rapidly. According to the Times of Israel, it descended from about 10,400 metres to roughly 5,200 metres in under a minute before landing safely at Tabuk.

Passengers told Israeli media that a crew member, possibly the first officer, attacked and injured the captain and may have tried to bring the aircraft down. Several passengers reportedly intervened and subdued the alleged attacker.

A photograph showed damage to the tail of the Boeing 737 Max after landing in Saudi Arabia.