Flydubai Boeing 737 MAX Survives Catastrophic Descent After Cockpit Attack
On Wednesday, a flydubai Boeing 737 MAX aircraft made an emergency descent after its first officer allegedly attacked the captain in the cockpit. The plane, which was flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv with 174 passengers on board, lost over 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds.
The incident began when the aircraft was cruising at around 34,000 feet over Saudi Arabia. At approximately 05:21 UTC, the cockpit attack started, and the plane plummeted from 30,875 feet to 16,750 feet in just 29 seconds. The descent rate reached almost 31,000 feet per minute, exceeding the standard emergency descent speed.
According to Trump, the Boeing 737 MAX withstood forces 'far beyond' its design. In a social media post, he congratulated Boeing and its CEO Kelly Ortberg on the jet's 'powerful structural planning and design' after it survived the rapid descent. The aircraft suffered significant damage to its rudder, but thanks to the bravery of passengers and crew, it was able to land safely at Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia.