Flydubai Co-Pilot Attacked Pilot, Tried to Crash Plane, Passenger Says

A passenger on a flydubai flight bound for Tel Aviv has alleged that the co-pilot attacked the pilot and attempted to crash the aircraft before passengers managed to restrain him.

The flight was diverted on Wednesday after the incident occurred while the aircraft was flying over Jordan on its journey from Dubai to Tel Aviv. Passenger Miryam Shira Ohayon said the plane was “pretty much out of control” during the confrontation.

Ohayon told reporters that the co-pilot allegedly attacked the pilot in what she described as an apparent suicide attempt. She said passengers intervened, restrained the co-pilot and helped bring the situation under control.

She said a doctor on board also provided first aid to those involved, adding that apart from the pilot, there were no reported injuries among the passengers. Her account has not independently established the motive behind the incident.

Ohayon’s mother, Yasmin Abukasis, said her daughter believed the passengers were going to die during the incident. She said another woman who entered the cockpit saw “a lot of blood”.

Abukasis added that there were two other pilots on board who took control of the aircraft and diverted it to Saudi Arabia after the confrontation.

Ohayon was travelling to Israel to attend a service for her brother, who was killed during the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack, her mother said.

The incident occurred as passengers were waiting at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv, where the flight had been expected to arrive. Further details about what led to the cockpit confrontation and the condition of the pilots were not immediately provided.