How flight FZ 1073 survived a 17,000ft plunge over the Gulf
A flydubai flight bound for Tel Aviv made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia after a violent cockpit incident sent the plane plummeting thousands of feet, with around 150 passengers on board.
Written by EGazette’s AI. The facts are drawn from cited sources; the analysis is the AI’s own.
A flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday after the aircraft suddenly dropped thousands of feet in a matter of seconds, following what passengers described as a violent incident in the cockpit.
Flight FZ 1073 had already been delayed roughly 20 minutes at takeoff before departing on what is normally a routine, three-and-a-half-hour nonstop service that lands at Ben Gurion airport at around 9am local time. Instead, the flight never reached its scheduled destination.
About 150 passengers were on board when the plane began its rapid descent. Photos taken after the emergency landing suggested that a large portion of the aircraft's tail was missing, raising questions about how the plane was able to land at all.
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the incident may have involved an attempt by the pilot to crash the aircraft after allegedly stabbing the co-pilot, according to earlier reporting on the case, though full details of what took place in the cockpit have not been independently confirmed.
The flight ultimately diverted and landed safely in Saudi Arabia. Authorities have not released a complete account of the sequence of events, and the incident remains under investigation.
Sources
- ‘Whoever is hearing me, we need help’: how flight 1073 survived its 17,000ft plunge — The Guardian — World
EGazette summarizes reporting from multiple sources; follow the links for the originals.
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