- Co-pilot attacked captain; Israel scrambled jets, closed airspace.
- Passengers, crew overpowered co-pilot; off-duty pilots landed aircraft.
- Prime Minister could authorize shooting down hijacked aircraft.
- Co-pilot reportedly planned to crash aircraft at Ben Gurion.
Israel was prepared to shoot down a FlyDubai passenger plane carrying more than 150 Israelis after its captain was attacked in the cockpit, CBS News reported, citing two Israeli sources with direct knowledge of the situation.
The Dubai-to-Tel Aviv flight was nearing Israel last week when the co-pilot allegedly stabbed the captain and tried to crash the aircraft, according to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, passengers and the captain.
Israel Activates Emergency Protocol
The report said Israel has a long-established procedure for dealing with a potential 9/11-style aviation threat. The protocol was activated after the aircraft suddenly dropped 14,000 feet and attempts by the Israeli Air Force to contact the cockpit received no response.
A pre-established committee was alerted and a command centre was set up as fighter jets were scrambled. Israel also closed its airspace as authorities assessed the situation.
The jets were later recalled after the aircraft, about 400 miles from Israel, changed course towards Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia then scrambled its own fighter jets.
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Passengers, Crew Overpowered Co-Pilot
According to accounts from people aboard the flight, the captain managed to resist the co-pilot long enough to unlock the cockpit door. Israeli passengers and FlyDubai staff then overpowered the co-pilot.
Two off-duty pilots travelling on the aircraft subsequently took control of the plane and helped carry out an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
The Israeli sources told CBS that if Flight 1073 had reached a certain distance from Israel, Israeli fighter jets would have entered Jordanian airspace to assess the situation.
The pilots would have moved as close as possible to the aircraft to inspect the cockpit and establish visual contact with the pilot. They would then have assessed the cabin to determine the condition of the passengers.
If signs of panic were visible, the information would have been relayed to the Israeli Air Force and the pre-established committee.
Israel Had Option To Shoot Down Plane
According to the report, if authorities determined the aircraft had been hijacked, while those responsible maintained radio silence and made no demands, the committee would have connected Israel’s defence minister and prime minister.
Under the protocol, a rogue aircraft approaching Israel could be shot down, although only the prime minister could authorise such an action.
The sources told CBS News that such a decision would be viewed as preferable to the possibility of hundreds of people being killed if the aircraft crashed into a major target in Israel, including the Azrieli buildings, the airport or another “high-value target.”
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Co-Pilot Allegedly Planned Attack
The co-pilot told investigators during questioning in the United Arab Emirates that he had planned the attack even before joining FlyDubai, an Israeli official told CBS News.
The co-pilot has been identified by sources familiar with the investigation as Omani national Hamam al Hamami. According to the Israeli official, he intended to crash the aircraft at Ben Gurion Airport and had previously flown to Israel.
An early Israeli investigation indicates that the attempted hijacking was likely carried out as a lone-wolf attack, according to sources familiar with the matter.
The investigation remains ongoing, and authorities are continuing to examine all possible avenues, the sources told CBS News.
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