A Passenger on "Fly Dubai" Tells: The Co-Pilot Stabbed the Captain

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After the incident involving the "Fly Dubai" plane that was heading to Tel Aviv before changing its course and making an emergency landing at Tabuk Airport, one of the passengers recounted the details of what she witnessed.

Passenger Miriam Shira Ohayon claimed on Wednesday that "the co-pilot stabbed the captain and tried to take down the plane."

She also added that she felt the plane was "almost out of control" when the stabbing incident occurred over Jordan, during the flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv. She explained in statements to reporters via a loudspeaker on her mother's phone, who was waiting for her at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv, that "the co-pilot tried to kill the pilot."

However, she added that "the quick thinking of many people led them to subdue the co-pilot and immobilize him," according to what was reported by AFP. She continued, "There was a doctor who provided first aid, and people treated both of them. No other injuries occurred apart from the pilot."

In turn, the mother of the passenger, Yasmin Aboukasiss, explained that her daughter was on the flight to attend the memorial service for her brother who was killed in the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023. Aboukasiss said, "A woman who was with three children went to the cockpit and saw a lot of blood." She noted that there were other pilots on board the plane who took over the controls and changed its course.

These testimonies came as the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that the incident was not a hijacking or an act of terrorism.

Meanwhile, FlyDubai clarified in a statement earlier today that flight 1073, which was headed from Dubai to Tel Aviv, encountered an incident during its flight and landed in Tabuk. It confirmed that all passengers were fine, adding that further updates would be issued as more confirmed details became available.

For its part, Tabuk Airport announced that it received a distress call from the aircraft to perform an emergency landing and declared a state of emergency and readiness upon receiving the distress call.

It also indicated that the captain of the FlyDubai aircraft and his assistant were injured during the flight that made an emergency landing. Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Tabuk explained that the plane landed at 6:45 GMT, and it was found that both the captain and the co-pilot were injured, and they were transferred to the hospital while providing necessary care to the passengers and coordinating with the airline to secure a replacement aircraft.

It is noted that such incidents on board Emirates aircraft are rare, as Flydubai has never recorded similar incidents.