Zürcher Nachrichten - Israel PM says pilot of rerouted flight tried to crash plane

Passengers gave a similar account of the incident on board, describing a fight for control after the plane suddenly plummeted, losing around 17,000 feet of altitude in the span of a minute, according to the Flightradar24 website.

Flydubai said all the passengers -- of whom 166 out of 174 were Israeli, according to media reports -- were safe, adding that reasons for the altercation were unknown.

A passenger told AFP that the group had departed again for Tel Aviv after a wait in Saudi Arabia's Tabuk.

"During the flight, as they approached the country, one of the pilots stabbed the other pilot, and apparently tried to crash the plane with everyone on board," Netanyahu said in a video message.

He said he spoke to an Israeli passenger who broke into the cockpit as the plane started to plunge and fought the pilot who was trying to bring down the aircraft.

"I salute these heroes, who showed extraordinary resourcefulness and courage. They saved many lives; they prevented a major disaster."

The flight was rerouted to Tabuk "at 9:45 am (0645 GMT) and its captain and copilot were found to have injuries and were transported to hospital", a statement from the company operating the airport said.

- 'Out of control' -

Passenger Miryam Shira Ohayon said the plane was "pretty much out of control" after one of the pilots tried to stab the other while they were flying over Jordan en route from Dubai to Tel Aviv.

"So the co-pilot tried to murder the pilot and basically carry out a suicide attack on the plane," she told reporters by speakerphone held up by her mother, who was waiting at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv.

"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 said, adding a doctor on board provided first aid.

"Other than the pilot, there were no injuries, but the bigger fear was really a crash, which is exactly what he was trying to do."

Netanyahu said that another air crew member had taken over the controls to land the plane, and that the pilot who allegedly stabbed his colleague was being interrogated by Saudi authorities.

"I have instructed the security services to prepare for additional potential threats," he added said.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz described the incident as "an attempted jihadist terror attack", but did not identify his source for assigning a motive.

At Ben Gurion airport, families gathered to await the return of their loved ones.

Yasmin Abukasis, Ohayon's mother, told AFP her daughter called her from Saudi Arabia: "She said one pilot tried to kill the other pilot with a knife. They heard shouting".

- Like a 'rollercoaster' -

Describing the flight's sudden plunge, passenger Almog Italie told AFP said it was like "we were having very big turbulence, but there was no turbulence", adding it was like riding a "rollercoaster".

According to data from Flightradar24, the aircraft suddenly dropped from nearly 34,000 feet at 0521 GMT to less than 17,000 feet a minute later.

But there was no "hysteria" among passengers, Italie noted, even as fighting erupted near the cockpit.

"The other passengers from the front took over control," he told AFP via video call from Saudi Arabia.

Neither the airline nor authorities of the countries involved provided details of what happened on board or the pilots' nationalities, but some Israeli media said one was Omani and the other Emirati.

Israel's Kan public broadcaster and Channel 12 reported that the Israeli military had scrambled fighter jets after fears of a possible hijacking.

In a video from inside the plane that was reposted by Israeli social media users, one passenger -- blood dripping from an open wound on his head -- pleaded for assistance and said they were descending into Saudi Arabia, with which Israel has no formal ties.

"We are here during an attack on the plane. We just subdued the terrorists and are preparing to land," the man said.

"Anyone who can hear me, we need help."

- Bloodied T-shirt -

Israel's Channel 12 reported that authorities were investigating whether or not one of the pilots had attempted a possible suicide by trying to crash the plane, with the other pilot apparently intervening to prevent the crash.

An AFP correspondent in Tabuk, where the plane landed, saw heavy security near the airport, with several police vehicles and an ambulance parked at the terminal.

Access to the terminal remained open.

In photos sent to AFP by one of the passengers, travellers, including children, were seen gathered in an airport lounge, with some sitting on the floor.

One man was wearing a white T-shirt and jeans stained with blood.

The incident comes months into a regional war that erupted in late February with US-Israeli strikes on Iran.

It also comes just ahead of Israeli elections due to be held at the end of October.

On Tuesday, Netanyahu said there were "indications" that Israel's enemies could try to attack ahead of elections, and was accused of "fear-mongering" by the opposition chief.

R.Schmid--NZN