Flight data shows terrifying moment Flydubai Flight FZ1073 plummets 17,000 feet in under a minute
People have been left stunned by live flight data tracking a recent alleged hijacking attempt, as Flydubai flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv plummeted 17,000 feet (5,200 meters) in a matter of minutes.
It has been revealed that both the pilot and first officer have sustained injuries amid an attack in the cockpit, with passengers noting the presence of an 'assailant with a knife' who threatened to jeopardize the journey.
As reported by the BBC, there were two other pilots sat towards the rear of the plane who managed to come forward and perform an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia, following the actions of several individuals who managed to subdue the attacker after rushing into the cockpit.
Passengers on the plane have understandably described the situation as incredibly 'traumatic', when speaking to Israeli media outlet Calcalist, with both shouting and screams able to be heard throughout the plane.
Flight data shows the frightening near-crash in action
Looking at flight tracking platform Flightradar24, we can see the exact moment that FZ1073 plunged towards the ground, although it's unclear at this point in time what caused the drastic change in direction to take place.
Advert
The drop appeared to begin at 05:21 UTC – roughly 08:21 local time – and within a minute the barometric altitude of the plane had dropped from 34,000 feet to as low as 16,600 feet, with speeds of around 593 knots.
The degree of travel had also dropped heavily from a consistent 270° to 26° at the lowest point, before stabilising again shortly after once the plane had regained altitude and returned to 'normal'.
It then flew around the airspace above the border between Jordan and Saudi Arabia, before finally landing at an airport in Tabuk at roughly 09:58 local time.
Footage captured by passengers on the plane has also been spread throughout social media, with one clip – shared by Mario Nawfal – revealing the moment where passengers realised the incident had been 'settled'.
Many praised the passenger's 'good sense' to film the incident, although others on the flight can be heard telling them not to do so, as panic continue to spread throughout the plane.
How has the Israeli government reacted?
Key figures in the Israeli parliament have issued an immediate response to the incident that took place on flight FZ1073, with both Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu offering their estimations of the event.
Ben-Gvir was first to issue a response, deeming it to be an act of attempted terrorism that only further Israel's continued fight against its 'enemies', and this sentiment has since been echoed by Netanyahu who claimed that the pilot was 'apparently' attempting to crash the plane.
The prime minister also commended the "heroes who demonstrated extraordinary resourcefulness and courage," adding that "they saved many lives and prevented a major disaster."
Their statements have been challenged by political rivals though, especially given the nature of the impending elections in the coming weeks which remain tighly contested.
Yair Lapid, the primary rival of Netanyahu's Likud party, argued that nothing of what is being said accurately reflects what actually happened, with Avigdor Liebrman accusing the incumbent government of turning the alleged hijacking into 'political capital'.