Tel Aviv flight passengers sprang into action after pilot stabbed copilot in alleged terror attack: Netanyahu

Passengers aboard a FlyDubai flight to Tel Aviv on Wednesday sprang into action after a pilot allegedly stabbed another and plunged the plane thousands of feet in an apparent attempt to crash it, in what Israeli officials are saying was an act of terror.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the intention was to “crash the plane, killing everyone on board” Flight 1073 from Dubai.

Passengers described a violent mid-air incident as the unidentified pilot allegedly stabbed the other pilot, later identified by the prime minister as Capt. Smit Machchhar, in the cockpit.

“We just heard screams, and they opened the cockpit and saw amounts of blood from someone who had simply tried to murder the pilot and stabbed him with a pocketknife. Then the plane lost control,” a passenger who identified herself as Miriam told Israeli media.

“We felt like we were, like, going to crash. I was already screaming, ‘Shema Israel’,” she added, referring to the Jewish prayer. “I can’t die, I’m my only daughter, I can’t do this to my mother.”

Netanyahu said in a statement that the plane “went into a spin and began to dive.” The passengers were predominantly Israeli citizens, he noted.

The prime minister said that even though Machchhar, who is from India, had been stabbed, he “fought back, resisted [and] opened the cockpit door.”

Netanyahu said that some passengers took a stand, referring to one he said he spoke with after the incident.

“He managed to break into the cockpit with one of the crew members, and together they subdued the pilot who had committed the stabbing while he was attempting to sabotage the aircraft’s systems,” Netanyahu said.

“Another flight crew member on board entered the cockpit and managed to stabilize the plane,” he added.

The flight landed in Tabuk, in northwestern Saudi Arabia, after being diverted.

“I salute the heroes on the flight from Dubai who demonstrated resourcefulness and courage. I have instructed the security establishment to prepare for potential additional threats,” Netanyahu said in a statement.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz also praised the passengers who stepped up and noted in his statement that investigation is still ongoing.

“According to our preliminary information, the terrorist had a single objective: to crash the plane, killing everyone on board,” he said.

Machchhar was being treated for his injuries in a hospital in Saudi Arabia and the suspect was detained, according to Israeli and Indian officials. The wounded pilot was in stable condition Wednesday night, the Indian Embassy in Saudi Arabia said.

“We hope that he recovers from his injuries at the earliest. We are in touch with his family and assure them that we will continue to follow up on his health with Saudi authorities and extend all possible assistance for his wellbeing,” the embassy said in a statement.

Attorney General Todd Blanche and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin told reporters that the U.S. is “closely coordinating with their counterparts overseas,” stressing there are “no credible threats.”

The flight took off at 7:05 a.m. local time from Dubai, according to Flightradar24.

Tracking data showed the aircraft descended rapidly from 34,000 to 16,000 feet in three minutes.

“It was the full like cabin, like cabins opening and everything, like chaos screaming and just the crazy drop. Like you look at the ground and you’re like, OK, I’m going that way right now,” Mika Bauman, a passenger, told ABC News.

“I think now I can go on every roller coaster and be fine after that because that was an insane drop,” Bauman added.

About 10 minutes after the initial descent, the plane’s squawk code — used by aircraft to communicate with air traffic control — changed to “general emergency.” Seven minutes after that, the squawk code changed again, indicating a hijacking or “unlawful interference.” 

The aircraft then continued to fly lower at 15,000 feet on average until it landed in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, about an hour to an hour and a half after the rapid descent began and the emergency signals were sent.

FlyDubai confirmed that the flight “experienced an incident while en route,” and landed in Tabuk.

One passenger expressed gratitude that the incident was resolved.

“We jumped and helped the pilot. Friends, everything is OK now, as you can see we are landing in Saudi Arabia, you can see I am fine. That’s it. We will see in a few minutes what will happen when we land,” Itzhak Liber, a passenger, said in a video he posted on Facebook.

An Israeli security source confirmed to ABC News that the Israel Defense Forces recommended that a military aircraft be sent to repatriate Israeli passengers from Saudi Arabia.

However, the Saudi government refused to allow an IDF rescue flight to bring back the Israeli passengers, two Israeli sources familiar with the matter told ABC News.

The repatriation flight landed on Wednesday evening local time, Israeli emergency services said.

“From first assessment, it appears nobody is going to need any medical treatment but we will assess them once more once they’re in the terminal,” an agency spokesman said.

At the airport, Netanyahu met with one of the passengers who subdued the suspect.

ABC News’ Victoria Beaule, David Brennan, Gaby Vinick and Dana Savir contributed to this report.