A terrifying plunge, loud screams, and blood everywhere: How flight FZ1073 unfolded

Tabuk air traffic controllers receive a distress call, requesting permission for an emergency landing.

A video circulated by Israeli media appears to show a man on board the flight with blood on his face.

“We’re here – the plane – we’ve just taken control of the terrorists. We’re about to land,” he says. A motive for the attack has not yet been established.

The aircraft’s transponder switches back to squawk 7700, the code for “general emergency”.

“After the situation was brought under control, returning to 7700 would make sense because the aircraft was still dealing with a serious emergency, including injured flight crew and the condition of the aircraft,” Hijazeen said.

The Saudi Gazette reports the aircraft’s safe landing at Tabuk’s Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Airport – 440 kilometres from its intended destination – and injuries to the captain and co-pilot.

A photo taken of the aircraft after its emergency landing showed it had sustained damage to its tail fin, and a part of its rudder was missing.

The rudder is used primarily for yaw – the side-to-side rotation of an aircraft’s nose around its vertical axis – and directional control. It is an important flight control surface, but not the only one built into the aircraft.

“Partial loss of the rudder does not necessarily make the aircraft uncontrollable, but it certainly adds another significant challenge,” said Hijazeen.

“What is remarkable is that the pilots taking control were dealing not only with an extraordinary situation onboard, but also an aircraft that had experienced extreme changes in altitude and apparent flight control damage.

“To then stabilise the aircraft, assess its condition, divert and land safely would have required a very high level of situational awareness and help from air traffic control.”

Flydubai releases a statement confirming an altercation had occurred. The airline then cancels its flights to and from Israel for the duration of the investigation.

One of two flydubai repatriation flights carrying passengers from FZ1073 arrives at Ben Gurion International Airport, met by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, anxious families and waiting ambulances.

The captain is taken to hospital in Tabuk City. The Indian embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, say he is receiving “necessary medical attention” and is in a stable condition.

In a video message issued by his office before the repatriation flight landed, Netanyahu says the co-pilot stabbed the pilot and attempted to crash the plane.

“I salute these heroes who demonstrated extraordinary resourcefulness and courage. They saved many lives and prevented a major disaster,” Netanyahu said.

Photos shared to his office’s X account showed Netanyahu’s meeting with Yaniv Hayoun, the Israeli passenger since hailed as a hero for breaking into the cockpit.

“We are a nation of lions, aren’t we?” Hayoun, his white shirt covered in blood, tells Netanyahu when asked how he did it.

Hayoun said the attacker was trying to disable the plane, and he called out to “the Israeli guys with us on the plane”, who helped him pin down and secure the attacker with his own zip ties and headphones.

Hayoun also said he pulled the aircraft’s controls.

“You pulled the controls?” Netanyahu asked.

To that, Hayoun replied: “I watch Air Crash Investigation, Mr Prime Minister.”

The pilot who carried out the attack is being investigated in Saudi Arabia. Netanyahu said he would likely be taken to the United Arab Emirates and Israel would “likely” participate in the probe.

Though Israeli Minister of Defence Israel Katz called the incident an “attempted jihadist terror attack”, and US President Donald Trump said it seemed “the co-pilot was perhaps a terrorist or perhaps a whack job”, the attacker’s precise motive is not yet known.

Days ago, Netanyahu warned of indications of an attack during Israel’s upcoming elections. Opposition figure Yair Lapid, who is running against Netanyahu, cast doubt on this and has declared Netanyahu’s warning as fearmongering.

A spokesperson for the Israeli prime minister’s office told Reuters that security checks on pilots flying into the country would be increased.

Get a note directly from our foreign correspondents on what’s making headlines around the world. Sign up for our weekly What in the World newsletter.