Israel Flight Emergency: What We Know About Possible Pilot Fight

A flight bound for Israel was unexpectedly redirected to Saudi Arabia after an incident onboard the aircraft, the plane's operator said on Wednesday.

All passengers aboard the flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv are safe and accounted for, a spokesperson for the airline told Gulf News.

A "violent incident" between two pilots forced the aircraft to divert to Saudi Arabia, CNN reported, citing anonymous sources. An Israeli official told Reuters the plane's pilots had transmitted emergency signals after becoming embroiled in a physical altercation.

Flight tracking data reviewed by Newsweek shows the flydubai plane was diverted to Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Tabuk, northwestern Saudi Arabia. The aircraft's trajectory dramatically changed shortly before briefly entering Jordanian airspace.

Israel's i24 News outlet reported a passenger had observed a pilot with stab wounds after a brawl in the plane's cockpit. Another traveler told Israel's Channel 12 a pilot was wounded by a pocketknife. Newsweek has not verified the claims.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said it had held "consultations" and was "monitoring developments" around the flight diversion.

"The incident is under control, and all measures are currently being deployed in order to return the Israeli passengers safely to Israel," Netanyahu's office said.

Tracking platform FlightRadar24 said it recorded "extreme fluctuations in the transmitted altitude data" from the flydubai flight, before the aircraft issued a 7700 squawk alert.

A 7700 squawk code refers to a general emergency, but doesn't specify the nature of an incident. It's been described by aviation experts as the "mayday" of squawk codes.

Flight trackers said the flight took off from Dubai shortly after 3 a.m. UTC on Wednesday (11 p.m. EDT). Just over two hours later, the plane's altitude started to fluctuate and quickly dropped by more than 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds, according to Flightradar24.

Roughly 10 minutes after the aircraft's altitude initially changed, the pilots sent out a 7700 squawk. This was quickly followed by a 7500 squawk, tracking information shows. This typically refers to "unlawful interference," and can sometimes be used to warn of a hijacking situation.

The plane was recorded landing at Tabuk at roughly 6:45 a.m. UTC (2:45 a.m. EDT).

Israel and the United Arab Emirates reached a deal to normalize relations between the two countries in 2020, as part of the broader Abraham Accords designed to improve ties between Israel and its Arab neighbors.

Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Tobias Meyjes and Tony Phillips.