Dive at nearly the speed of sound: Shocking new details from the "Flydubai" flight

A passenger on a Flydubai flight from Dubai to Israel describes how the co-pilot violently stabbed the captain, the plane plunged more than 5,180 meters in half a minute and reached a speed of about 1,111 km/h, close to the speed of sound. Passengers restrained the attacker, replacement pilots made a smooth emergency landing in Saudi Arabia.

A passenger on a Flydubai flight from Dubai to Israel, Ofer Dubrovsky, who sat in seat 8C next to his family, recounted the harrowing experience. About two hours after takeoff, the co-pilot violently stabbed the captain, Seemit Maher. The wounded captain managed to open the cockpit door, and passengers rushed in to help. They restrained the co-pilot to the floor using plastic handcuffs. During the struggle, the autopilot system disengaged due to damage to the controls, and the plane plunged more than 5,180 meters in about half a minute, at a speed of approximately 1,111 km/h, close to the speed of sound. Passenger Yaniv Hiyon grabbed the controls and stopped the dive. Two additional 737 pilots who were on the flight as passengers took command. They broadcast emergency code 7700 and then code 7500 indicating a hijacking, and fighter jets were scrambled to escort them. Despite severe damage to the rudder, the pilots made a smooth emergency landing at a military base in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. Saudi authorities provided water, food, and medical and psychological assistance. Due to a lack of trust in the crew, passengers assigned a chaperone to each flight attendant. The airline sent a replacement plane with a new crew, and the flight to Israel passed quietly.