EXPLAINER: How the Mid-Air Emergency Aboard Flydubai Flight FZ1073 Unfolded

A Flydubai flight, FZ1073, experienced a mid-air emergency during which the aircraft lost more than 14,000 feet of altitude in under 30 seconds, according to flight-tracking data cited by Anadolu Agency.

The Boeing 737 MAX operating the flight transmitted both an emergency code and a separate code associated with unlawful interference, the agency reported, though it did not specify the exact sequence of events that triggered the transmissions or confirm what ultimately caused the altitude drop.

What the data shows

Flight-tracking codes of this kind are typically used by pilots to alert air-traffic controllers to specific situations, with an emergency code generally indicating a general distress situation and an unlawful-interference code specifically associated with concerns such as a hijacking or a threat originating from within the cabin or cockpit. Anadolu's report did not clarify whether both codes were transmitted simultaneously or in sequence, nor did it detail the flight's route, point of departure or eventual outcome.

A loss of more than 14,000 feet in under 30 seconds represents a rapid rate of descent, though the report did not specify whether the aircraft subsequently stabilized, diverted or landed safely, or whether there were any injuries among passengers or crew.

Flydubai and aviation authorities were not quoted in the cited report as having issued a statement on the incident at the time of publication.