Suicide attempt, terrorism, or interpersonal conflict? The mystery of the Flydubai plane

Israel does not rule out the possibility of a terrorist attack aboard a Flydubai flight, according to the Ynet portal, citing sources.

Citing eyewitnesses, the i24News channel reports that the flight’s pilot was stabbed. An hour or two before the scheduled arrival time, screams were heard from the cockpit. Several passengers managed to open the door and saw “a lot of blood.” The aircraft lost control for a few minutes and began to descend.

According to one version, the plane sent out a distress signal due to a fight between the pilots, Israel’s Channel 12 reports. The aircraft was piloted by aviators from Russia and Ukraine. According to this version, the Ukrainian was the co-pilot.

An attempt by one of the pilots to cause a plane crash may have been the cause of the incident aboard the Flydubai flight, Israel’s Channel 14 claims.

Another version suggests that a pilot suddenly sent the plane into a steep dive, according to preliminary investigation data. He may have been attempting suicide, but was prevented by his colleague inside the cockpit, who engaged him in a physical struggle.

It is also reported that the pilots of the Flydubai airliner, which made an emergency landing at a Saudi airport, are citizens of Oman and the UAE, and the Omani may have been responsible for the incident.

Earlier, an Emirates airline Flydubai passenger flight operating from Dubai to Tel Aviv squawked a hijacking signal, according to Israel’s Channel 12. First, the pilots transmitted code 7700, signaling an emergency on board, followed by code 7500, indicating that the aircraft had been hijacked. Communications were then lost. There were about 180 passengers on board the airliner. Landing in Israel was prohibited; the plane turned around in the skies over Jordan and was diverted to Saudi Arabia. The aircraft landed at the airport in the Saudi city of Tabuk.