Stabbed flydubai pilot is Indian, say reports; Mossad joins probe into 'violent' mid-air cockpit clash aboard Israel-bound flight

Fresh details have emerged about the flydubai flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv, with Israeli media reports claiming that the captain who bravely fought off his Omani co-pilot was Indian.

While some reports say the captain was an "Indian national", others say that he was "of Indian origin".

It was this captain who heroically fought back against his co-pilot, despite being stabbed, and managed to prevent the flight from crashing, as per Israeli outlets YNET and Channel 14.

However, neither of the pilots involved—in what authorities had called a "violent clash"—have been identified as yet.

"We currently know that the plane was flown by an Omani crew member and an Indian crew member ... We are at the beginning of the investigation. We don't know who operated it, what is behind it," a report from Israeli media outlet Maariv said, citing security sources.

It added that the Mossad was currently investigating the flight scare, and further details would be out soon.

Notably, the terror angle has not been ruled out, with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir's initial analysis of the mid-air scare pointing to a possible terror incident so far.

The two options being examined are either the flight being crashed or hijacked, with unconfirmed rumours of a possible 9/11 plot emerging as well.

Pilots in civilian clothes, who had been travelling as regular passengers aboard the flydubai flight, were the ones who finally landed it safely at the Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia, saving the lives of the 180 people—mostly Israelis—onboard.

Airport officials told YNET that both pilots were hospitalised and are receiving treatment.

What we know so far

The flight took off from Dubai just after 6 AM, and was expected to reach Tel Aviv in about three hours. At 8:21 AM, however, the aircraft suddenly dived, dropping by more than 14,000 feet in half a minute.

It was at this time that some of the passengers saw the "violent clash" inside the cockpit, and managed to neutralise the co-pilot to regain control over the aircraft.

Just ten minutes after it began dropping altitude, the aircraft briefly transmitted squawk code 7700, the international transponder code for a general emergency. Minutes later, a code 7500 was activated, signalling unlawful interference with an aircraft and possible hijacking.

This led Israel to dispatch two Air Force jets to accompany the flight as it made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia.

Reports also say that Israel has accused flydubai of violating an agreement by letting the Omani pilot fly there, as per which only pilots from countries with cordial relations to Tel Aviv can do so.