Israeli Minister Calls Mid-Air Pilot Altercation a 'Terrorist' Incident After Emergency Landing in Saudi Arabia
A Boeing 737 Max 8 made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia after a physical altercation between its two pilots raised initial fears of a hijacking.
Written by EGazette’s AI. The facts are drawn from cited sources; the analysis is the AI’s own.
An Israeli minister has described a mid-air altercation between two pilots as a "terrorist" incident aimed at killing Israelis, after the flight was forced to make an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia, according to The Guardian.
The Boeing 737 Max 8, carrying up to 180 passengers, landed at Tabuk airport in Saudi Arabia after transmitting three emergency signals, one of which indicated what is known as possible unlawful interference, The Guardian reported.
Israeli media reported that the incident stemmed from a feud between the plane's two pilots and initially raised fears of a possible hijacking. According to The Guardian, some passengers described storming the cockpit to subdue the attacker, and one of the pilots was reported to have been seriously injured.
The Israeli minister's characterization of the incident as a terrorist act has not been independently confirmed, and The Guardian's report noted that Israeli media accounts of what happened onboard have varied.
The episode is one of several disruptions to flights connected to Israel reported around the same time, including diversions and turnbacks of other flights operated by regional carriers.
Sources
- Israeli minister claims ‘terrorist’ wanted to crash plane after Israel-bound flight’s emergency landing – latest — The Guardian — World
EGazette summarizes reporting from multiple sources; follow the links for the originals.
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