Passengers Intervene as Pilots Clash on Flight to Tel Aviv
- An altercation between pilots during a flight sparked investigations by authorities, according to media reports and passenger accounts.
- Yasmin Abukasis, the mother of passenger Miryam Shira Ohayon, told Agence France-Presse that her daughter called her from Saudi Arabia to report the midair struggle.
- She said one pilot tried to kill the other pilot with a knife.
An altercation between pilots during a flight sparked investigations by authorities, according to media reports and passenger accounts. Families gathered at Ben Gurion airport to await loved ones after passengers intervened to stop an altercation in the cockpit. Israeli media outlets reported that authorities investigated whether one pilot attempted to crash the aircraft before being restrained by crew members and passengers.
Midair Cockpit Altercation and Passenger Intervention
Yasmin Abukasis, the mother of passenger Miryam Shira Ohayon, told Agence France-Presse that her daughter called her from Saudi Arabia to report the midair struggle.
She said one pilot tried to kill the other pilot with a knife. They heard shouting.
The passenger began screaming for help, prompting others to rush inside and subdue the individual. Channel 12 reported that authorities were investigating whether or not one of the pilots had attempted a possible suicide by trying to crash the plane, with the other pilot apparently intervening to prevent the crash. According to passenger accounts, two other pilots stationed in the rear of the aircraft subsequently took over the controls.
Sudden Altitude Drop Recorded Over Regional Airspace
Flight tracking data from the Flightradar website showed that the aircraft experienced a sudden, sharp loss in altitude during the flight. The plane dropped from nearly 34,000 feet to less than 17,000 feet in a span of less than 30 seconds. Meir Zohar, the father of passenger Ido Zohar, told Agence France-Presse that his son sent a text message confirming he was safe following the incident near Abu Dhabi’s airspace.
We heard on the news what happened in the sky of Abu Dhabi. He told us that everything is okay, he didn’t tell me that much.
Authorities Investigate Potential Intentional Crash
Israeli media citing anonymous sources reported that authorities launched an investigation to determine whether one of the pilots attempted suicide by trying to crash the plane. Reports indicate the second pilot intervened to prevent the aircraft from going down. Families awaited incoming flights at Ben Gurion airport near Tel Aviv as security agencies continued gathering evidence regarding the cockpit altercation.