14,000 feet in 29 seconds: Flydubai flight's dramatic drop after pilots' mid-air fight

A mid-air fight between the pilots of a Flydubai flight bound for Tel Aviv triggered emergency signals and a hijacking scare on Wednesday, prompting Israel to scramble fighter jets before the aircraft was diverted to Saudi Arabia.

The Flydubai flight, FZ1073, was carrying around 180 passengers on a Boeing 737 MAX 8. It eventually landed at Saudi Arabia's Tabuk airport.

A passenger, Miriam, said she heard screaming from the cockpit. When the cockpit door was opened, she saw one of the pilots lying injured, with "blood everywhere".

The aircraft initially transmitted squawk code 7700, the standard international signal for a general emergency. Seconds later, it transmitted code 7500, which indicates "unlawful interference" with an aircraft, including a possible hijacking.

Flight tracking data showed the aircraft crossed into Jordanian airspace before making a U-turn and heading back towards Saudi Arabia.

Reports suggest that the jet lost 17,400 feet in a span of around two minutes.

As per analysis of Flight Tracking data by India Today's OSINT team, the Tel Aviv-bound FlyDubai flight dropped more than fourteen thousand feet in 29 seconds.

Israel scrambles fighter jets

The 7500 signal sparked panic in Israel. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held an emergency meeting with the defence minister, while Israeli airspace was briefly closed.

The Israeli prime minister's office later clarified that the incident was not a hijacking.

An Israeli official told Reuters that the pilots had transmitted the emergency signals after getting into a physical altercation with each other.

Details of the incident remain sketchy. It is not immediately clear whether either pilot intentionally transmitted the emergency signals or whether the codes were sent during the brawl.