Summary

  • A flight from Dubai to Israel has landed in Saudi Arabia after a fight reportedly broke out between the co-pilots

  • An Israeli passenger on board tells journalists the crew asked for help, and that passengers helped tackle one of the pilots and tie him down

  • The Flydubai plane - which set off early on Wednesday - signalled an emergency code two hours into the flight, tracking website Flightradar24 says

  • Minutes later it switched to a hijacking code, but was later turned back to a general emergency signal

  • This is a developing story - we'll bring you more details soon

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Mother of passenger on Flydubai flight describes incident

Live Reporting

Edited by Owen Amos, with Jon Donnison reporting from Jerusalem

  1. BBC Verify

    Plane plummeted by 17,000ft in two minutes, data shows

    By Paul Brown

    The flight bound for Tel Aviv dropped extremely rapidly over Saudi Arabia just over two hours after take-off from Dubai, flight-tracking data from Flightradar24 examined by BBC Verify shows.

    Just before 06:21 BST (08:21 local time) the plane was cruising at a recorded altitude of 34,000 feet (10,400m).

    In less than two minutes it had descended more than 17,000 feet (5,200m).

    An emergency signal was issued from the plane around 10 minutes later and the available data shows significant ongoing fluctuations in altitude throughout the rest of the flight to Tabuk airport in Saudi Arabia.

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  2. 'There are people here with shirts covered in blood' - witness

    In an interview with Israeli newspaper Israel Hayom, a female passenger describes the "very stressful" moment people on board realised the plane was rapidly descending.

    "We understood the pilots lost control," she says, recounting terrified screams from passengers.

    She tells the newspaper that one pilot suffered serious stab wounds before the attacker could be dragged off him.

    "There are people here with shirts covered in blood," she says, adding: "Now we are fine and want to return home."

    • BBC News can not verify this account - this is a developing story, and we will have more details soon

  3. 'Major disaster averted', officials reportedly tell Israeli media

    More now from Israeli media, who have been speaking to unnamed Israeli officials.

    "A very serious disaster was averted," one of those officials tells Channel 12.

    The Jerusalem Post also cites an unnamed Israeli official as saying a "major disaster was narrowly avoided".

  4. Two pilots at back of plane helped land flight - reports

    More reports are emerging in Israeli media about what unfolded on the Dubai to Tel Aviv flight.

    An unnamed passenger tells the Jerusalem Post that one pilot was stabbed by another, but passengers near the front of the plane helped force the attacker from the cockpit.

    The witness says two other pilots were on board, at the back of the plane.

    "I shouted at them to run and take control of the plane," the passenger tells the Jerusalem Post.

    The passenger also say the injured pilot was given life-saving care by a dentist on the flight.

    • BBC News can not verify this account - this is a developing story, and we will have more details soon
  5. BBC Verify

    Emergency signal sounded for seven minutes before flight changed direction

    By Paul Brown

    Flight FZ103 from Dubai to Tel Aviv issued an emergency signal for around seven minutes, shortly after an abrupt change of direction and descent over Saudi Arabia, according to data from Flightradar24.

    The flight took off at 03:05 UTC (04:05 BST), after a 20-minute delay.

    The emergency "squawk" code 7700, declaring a "general emergency" was issued at around 05:31 UTC.

    Flightradar24 have since said on X that another emergency signal - 7500, declaring "unlawful interference" - was issued at 05:38, although this is not visible on their website.

    The flight briefly entered Jordanian airspace at 05:40 before looping back into Saudi airspace six minutes later.

    It began descending again at 06:11 on an apparent course towards Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. Location data became temporarily unavailable shortly thereafter, until 06:58, when it re-emerged at Tabuk airport.

    Map showing the route of Flydubai flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv. The plane departed Dubai at 03:05 GMT and flew northwest across Saudi Arabia towards Israel. Near the Israel-Jordan border, the aircraft declared a general emergency at 05:31 and a hijacking alert at 05:38 before turning away from Tel Aviv. The flight diverted south and landed at Tabuk Airport in north-west Saudi Arabia at 06:58.

  6. 'Blood everywhere', passenger reports

    We're now getting testimony from passengers, via Reuters.

    Yasmin Abu Kasis tells the news agency that her daughter Miriam was on the flight and that she heard screaming.

    Her daughter said a man holding a knife had forced one of the pilots onto the floor, and that there was blood everywhere.

  7. All passengers safe and accounted for - Flydubai

    Flydubai confirms its flight "experienced an incident" but says "all passengers are safe and accounted for".

    "Flydubai can confirm that flight FZ 1073 operating from Dubai International (DXB) to Ben Gurion International Airport (TLV) on 30 September experienced an incident while en route," a statement says.

    "The aircraft has landed safely in Tabuk Airport (TUU) and all passengers are safe and accounted for. The safety and wellbeing of our passengers and crew remain our highest priority.

    "Our teams are working closely with the relevant authorities. Further updates will be issued as additional confirmed details become available."

  8. Passengers 'helped tie down pilot after fight'

    Jon Donnison
    Middle East correspondent in Jerusalem

    It’s reported the alarm was caused after a 'fight' between the pilot and the co-pilot.

    An Israeli passenger on board has told journalists the crew asked for help and that passengers then helped tackle one of the pilots and tie him down.

    In a statement, the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the situation was under control and that efforts were underway to return the Israeli passengers home from Saudi Arabia.

  9. Israel-bound flight diverted after 'fight' between pilots - reports

    A screengrab from website Flightradar24 showing the plan changing courseFlightradar24/Reuters

    A flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv was diverted to Saudi Arabia after a "fight" between the pilots, Israeli officials have told local media.

    The Flydubai plane - which took off from Dubai International Airport early on Wednesday - signalled an emergency code two hours into the journey, flight tracking website Flightradar24 says.

    Minutes later it switched to a code used to report a hijacking, but was later turned back to the general emergency signal.

    The emergency signal is thought to have been issued following an "altercation" between the pilot and co-pilot, local media reports, citing Israeli defence officials.

    Flight FZ1073 - carrying around 150 people, most of whom are Israeli - was due to land at Ben-Gurion Airport but instead landed at Tabuk Airport in northeastern Saudi Arabia.

    This is a developing story - we'll have more details soon.