Flydubai Pilot Accused of Trying to Crash Tel Aviv-Bound Flight

A Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv experienced an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia after one of its pilots allegedly tried to crash the plane. The Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft, with over 100 passengers on board, lost thousands of feet in altitude just a minute before landing safely at Tabuk Airport.

Flydubai confirmed that all passengers were safe and accounted for, but Israeli media reported that one of the pilots had deliberately tried to crash the plane. The incident occurred around 05:22 GMT/UTC on Wednesday, with initial reports suggesting a fight between the two pilots.

Passengers reportedly helped one pilot prevent the other from causing harm, and images showed a passenger with blood on his shirt. The Israeli military scrambled fighter jets amid fears of a possible hijacking, but that possibility was later dismissed.