It's over, 9/11 happening again: flydubai passenger recalls chaos inside cockpit

"That's it, it's over. September 11 is happening again'" That was the thought that raced through Daniel's mind as a flydubai plane carrying more than 180 Israeli passengers from Dubai to Tel Aviv suddenly plunged and began spinning after a struggle erupted inside the cockpit.

Speaking to Israel's Channel 12 from Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia, where the plane eventually made an emergency landing, Daniel recalled hearing what sounded like a fight near the cockpit. "Suddenly I heard a struggle. Something like a fight coming from the cockpit," he said. Daniel said the cockpit door was slightly open and he saw what appeared to be an attempt to push someone out.

Three Israeli passengers sitting nearby then moved towards the cockpit to find out what was happening, he said. Moments later, the aircraft suddenly went sharply nose-down and began spinning.

The flight, FZ1073, was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv when the incident unfolded. It eventually diverted to Tabuk in north-western Saudi Arabia, where it landed safely. Flydubai has confirmed that an incident occurred on board and said all passengers were safe and accounted for.

Daniel said he later understood that the co-pilot had stabbed the captain and that other pilots travelling as passengers intervened after the captain was incapacitated.

"From what I understood, a copilot stabbed the captain, and once they subdued the attacker, there were two other pilots on the plane and they took control," he said.

Reports from Israeli media have said there were off-duty pilots travelling among the passengers who helped regain control of the aircraft. The Times of Israel, citing Channel 12, reported that a second team of pilots in civilian clothes was on board and that they helped prevent one of the pilots from taking over the aircraft.

Daniel said the aircraft remained in a frightening descent for what felt like an eternity.

"The spinning stopped. It took some -- I don't know, it felt like an eternity, but I think it was two minutes, at least two or three minutes, during which the plane was simply diving and spinning like crazy," he said.

"It felt like, that's it. It's over. September 11 is happening again."'I DEFINITELY THOUGHT IT WAS A TERRORIST ATTACK'

The passenger said the situation initially gave him no reason to believe the danger was under control. Daniel said he heard screams during the struggle and saw blood after one of the pilots was brought out of the cockpit.

"I definitely thought it was a terrorist attack," he said. "I heard the screams during the struggle and saw the blood on the floor from the pilot, who was brought out."

He also praised the Israeli passengers who intervened.

"Those three Israeli guys are real heroes. It's hard to explain just how heroic they were," Daniel said.

The accounts from passengers have provided a glimpse into the chaos inside the aircraft, but investigators have yet to establish the full sequence of events. Israeli and Saudi authorities are investigating the incident.FEARS THE PLANE COULD BE HIJACKED TO IRAN

Even after the immediate struggle appeared to have been contained, Daniel said passengers remained unsure whether they were safe. "The focus was on neutralizing the guy, the attacker. I looked outside and saw desert, I couldn't see anything. I realised Iran was close. Thoughts went through my head that they were hijacking the plane to Iran," he said.

The passengers were left without much information during those tense moments, he added. Daniel said the pilots who took control initially remained inside the cockpit and did not communicate with those in the cabin.

"The pilots locked themselves in the cockpit, and we had no contact with the pilots. There were also two flight attendants who were completely helpless, from flydubai. They were hysterical, they didn't really know how to handle the situation."

Amid the investigation, Israeli media reports have identified the captain as an Indian national or as being of Indian origin. Ynet and Channel 12 have reported the captain's Indian background, while reports have identified the co-pilot under investigation as an Omani national. These details have not been independently confirmed by flydubai.

The captain and first officer of flydubai flight was hospitalized after the cockpit confrontation. Saudi Arabia's Tabuk airport operator confirmed that both the captain and first officer sustained injuries and were taken to hospital after the aircraft landed at 9:45 AM local time.- Ends