A flydubai plane from Dubai to Tel Aviv in Israel, carrying about 150 passengers, was diverted to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday morning following a mid-air drama.
According to flight tracking data published online, the plane initially transmitted code 7700, intended for a general emergency, and later switched to code 7500. Code 7500, used during the flight, signals to aviation authorities a suspicion of hijacking or illegal interference with the plane.
However, it later emerged that the incident happened when the two pilots got into a violent altercation, according to The Jerusalem Post.
The plane stopped its progress towards Ben Gurion Airport and made a turn towards Saudi Arabia, while Israeli Air Force planes were scrambled following the alert. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had convened a security meeting with defence officials.
What is Code 7500
Code 7500 is considered one of the most sensitive emergency codes in civil aviation. According to aviation procedures, when an aircraft transmits it, air traffic controllers are required to check with the crew whether the code was chosen intentionally. If the crew does not rule it out, the incident is treated as a possible hijacking or unlawful interference situation.
After a short period of time, the plane stopped transmitting the two emergency codes and stabilised in straight flight.
Federal Aviation Administration procedures in the United States explicitly address the need to avoid accidentally entering codes 7500, 7600, and 7700, because even momentary transmission of them triggers alerts in the flight control system.
