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

israeli officials alleged the suspect tried to bring down the jet.

Tel Aviv flight diverted to Saudi Arabia after pilot 'stabbed the other': OfficialsA FlyDubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv was diverted to Saudi Arabia Wednesday morning after an incident took place between the pilots in the cockpit.

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" the flight from Dubai.

Passengers described a violent mid-air incident as the unidentified pilot allegedly stabbed the other pilot 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.

An image from a video circulating online taken by a passenger inside a FlyDubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv that was diverted to Saudi Arabia, Sept. 30, 2026, after an incident took place inside the cockpit.
Obtained by ABC News
"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 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.

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."