Saudi Arabia says it transferred second FlyDubai pilot to UAE — CBS News

Saudi Arabia said it had transferred to the United Arab Emirates the second FlyDubai pilot detained after an incident on a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv. Associated Press, cited by CBS News, reported this on October 1. The aircraft made an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.

Incident on the flight

According to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as the plane approached Israel, the second pilot allegedly stabbed the captain and attempted to cause the aircraft to crash. The captain was able to resist long enough to open the cockpit door.

Passengers subdued the second pilot, while two off-duty pilots on board took control of the aircraft and made an emergency landing. There were 174 people on board. No serious injuries among passengers were reported, but the captain sustained stab wounds and two crew members were hospitalized with unspecified injuries.

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Possible motives

The second pilot was arrested immediately after landing. Netanyahu said Saudi authorities had questioned the detainee and that Israeli authorities planned to join the questioning.

The second pilot's motive is currently unknown. Netanyahu suggested that the incident may have been a suicide attempt, citing evidence that he had tried to disable the aircraft's equipment rather than stabilize the flight. He also said personal information gathered during questioning allegedly indicated the detainee's Islamist radicalization.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz called the incident an attempted jihadist terrorist attack. US President Donald Trump suggested a possible link between the second pilot and Iran, while Netanyahu said it was too early to draw such conclusions. The second pilot's name has not been publicly disclosed. An Omani official told CBS News that the detainee was born in Oman and holds Omani citizenship, but the Omani government has not publicly confirmed this.