Pilots of Ukrainian and Russian origin got into a fight during a flight — what is known about the incident on board Flydubai
Kyiv • UNN
Pilots of Ukrainian and Russian origin got into a fight during a Dubai–Tel Aviv flight. The aircraft, carrying 100 passengers, landed in Saudi Arabia.
The pilots of a passenger plane flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv that was sending signals indicating an emergency and hijacking got into a fight. They were of Ukrainian and Russian origin. Israel’s Channel 12 reported this, citing airline data, writes UNN.
Details
A dangerous incident occurred aboard a Flydubai aircraft, forcing the plane carrying 100 Israeli passengers to make an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia.
According to Israeli media, a fight broke out between the pilots during the flight, during which one of them lost consciousness. Preliminary information indicates that the conflict occurred between pilots of Russian and Ukrainian origin.
During the altercation in the cockpit, codes 7700 and 7500 were activated, signaling a hijacking. The aircraft began rapidly losing altitude at a rate of nearly 5,000 meters per minute.
It is reported that Israeli passengers and crew members forced their way into the cockpit to stop the pilot. Some passengers were injured and had traces of blood on their clothing.
According to Channel 9 Israel, citing a source, one of the pilots began a sharp descent and ignored the other pilot’s words. The latter prevented the plane from crashing by engaging in a fight.
Fighter jets from the Israeli and Saudi Arabian air forces were scrambled. In Israel, urgent consultations were held by the military and political leadership.
The plane landed in Saudi Arabia. Local police detained the pilots, and a replacement flight is being arranged for the passengers.
The Office of the Prime Minister of Israel said that the incident was under control and that all necessary measures were now being taken to ensure the safe return of the Israeli passengers to Israel.