A “terrorist” allegedly tried to crash the Flydubai plane. The co-pilot allegedly stabbed the captain

The emergency landing of a Flydubai aircraft heading to Israel was caused by the actions of a “terrorist” who intended to crash the aircraft and kill those on board, the Israeli minister of national security claimed, AFP reports. The co-pilot allegedly stabbed the captain.

A Flydubai aircraft bound for Tel Aviv made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia following an incident that occurred during the flight. According to the Israeli press, an altercation allegedly took place between the pilots, and the authorities are investigating the possibility of a terrorist act.

An Israeli passenger told The Jerusalem Post that one of the pilots allegedly stabbed the other and tried to forcibly remove him from the cockpit. During the incident, the aircraft allegedly began to lose altitude suddenly.

The passenger reported that several Israelis seated in the front of the plane intervened and removed the attacker from the cockpit. Two other pilots, who were in the rear of the aircraft, were allegedly called in to take control. One of them managed to fly the plane, while the other needed time to recover from the shock.

According to the same testimony, the stabbed pilot was in critical condition, and an Israeli dentist on board provided him with first aid. Israeli officials later stated that the theory being examined was that a co-pilot had allegedly attempted to hijack the plane with the intention of crashing it. The information has not been independently confirmed, and the investigation is ongoing.