A potentially devastating emergency aboard a flight bound for Tel Aviv ended safely on Wednesday after passengers and crew intervened inside the cockpit and helped restore control of the aircraft.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said one pilot allegedly attacked the other on a Flydubai flight and attempted to interfere with the aircraft’s controls. The plane rapidly lost altitude, alarming those on board and prompting an emergency diversion to Saudi Arabia.

United Arab Emirates Attorney General Hamad Saif Al Shamsi said the pilot was suspected of attempting a terrorist act by assaulting his colleague with an emergency axe in the cockpit and trying to seize control of the plane.

Investigators are still working to establish a motive. In comments posted online, Netanyahu said the suspect appeared to have undergone Islamist radicalization and warned that anyone behind the incident would face serious consequences.

The injured pilot, Indian national Smit Machchhar, was praised for resisting the attack and helping avert a catastrophe. Netanyahu described the response as an instance in which those defending the flight managed to prevail.

What happened on board?

Flydubai flight FZ1073 left Dubai at 6:05 a.m. local time and was traveling west toward the Tel Aviv area. Roughly two hours after departure, tracking information indicated that the aircraft began descending rapidly before making a sharp turn north. It lost about 17,400 feet in less than two minutes.

The aircraft sent a distress signal at 8:31 a.m. Shortly afterward, it transmitted code 7500, the internationally recognized emergency code indicating a possible hijacking.

Video recorded during the episode showed passengers and crew gathering outside the cockpit as they tried to help regain control of the situation.

Several people were seen clustered near the cockpit entrance while a flight attendant urged passengers to remain seated and called for medical assistance.

Another person could be heard asking for a pilot as crew members hurriedly opened emergency medical supplies.

Travelers described intense fear as the aircraft suddenly descended.

Passenger Mika Bauman said the plane seemed to drop sharply and rotate slightly, while people screamed and children cried. She said she believed the flight might not survive the plunge.

Other passengers decided to enter the cockpit and confront the alleged attacker.

Yaniv Hayoun told Netanyahu that he restrained the suspect with a chokehold and, with assistance from others, removed him from the cockpit.

Hayoun said he then held the aircraft’s controls long enough to help stabilize the flight. He said his limited familiarity with aviation came from watching a television series about real-world air accidents.

“I watch Air Crash Investigation, Mr. Prime Minister — really. The plane started to level out a bit, and then the pilot told me he was taking over the controls from there,” Hayoun said.

Dr. Shota Musaev, a dentist traveling on the flight, said he and others used headphone cables and plastic ties to restrain the attacker. He then focused on helping the wounded pilot.

Despite the suspect being held, many passengers remained terrified about where the plane might go next.

Assaf Rajuan said passengers could see only desert below and feared that the aircraft could be forced into an unfamiliar location. He said people did not know whom they could trust.

How did the plane land?

In another unusual aspect of the incident, qualified pilots were reportedly among the passengers and were able to assist in bringing the aircraft under control.

Netanyahu and Flydubai said reserve pilots traveling in the cabin helped take over the aircraft. The flight was redirected to Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia, where it landed at 9:54 a.m.

Aviation safety analyst David Soucie said it is not especially common for additional active pilots to be traveling on a flight unless they are being moved to operate another service.

What happened to the pilots?

Video from the aircraft showed the aftermath of the violence, including a badly injured pilot lying on the cabin floor with part of his face covered by an oxygen mask.

The injured man held his torso with blood-covered hands. Though clearly in pain, he appeared conscious as passengers attempted to assist and monitor him.

Nearby, another pilot, identified by passengers as the suspected attacker, was being watched by several men. He was also injured and lay on his side with blood visible on his shirt.

Saudi aviation officials said both the captain and co-pilot were taken to a hospital.

Musaev said the attacked pilot had suffered severe injuries and major blood loss. He described wounds to the pilot’s head and hands that required urgent treatment.

A local political representative from Ghatkopar East in Mumbai, where Machchhar is from, said the pilot’s relatives reported that he was stable after surgery in Saudi Arabia.

Machchhar later spoke publicly, saying he continued fighting because he could not allow the other people on board to die.

“In that moment, I was fighting for my life,” Machchhar told Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a video call from his hospital bed. “I was so severely wounded that I had fallen down… at that time, I was thinking what if I don’t get up?”

Modi praised the pilot’s actions, saying his composure, determination and fast response had protected many lives.

Machchhar’s wife, Sonal, said the family had avoided asking him for details while he recovered because they did not want him to relive the traumatic event.

“We want him to fully recover, and I’m sure once he is in the right space to talk, he will share it with everyone of how the incident went on with him,” Sonal Machchhar said. She said the family was deeply proud of him and hoped he would return home soon.

Saudi Arabia’s interior ministry said the co-pilot and the Indian captain he was accused of attacking traveled to Abu Dhabi on Thursday morning with an Emirati security team after receiving medical clearance.

Who was the attacker?

Authorities had not formally released the identity of the pilot accused of attacking Machchhar. However, multiple sources and an Israeli official identified him as Omani citizen Hamam al-Hammami. Saudi state media also named al-Hammami.

Oman and Israel do not maintain formal diplomatic relations, raising questions about how an Omani pilot had been approved to operate a flight headed for Israel.

Sources familiar with the matter said the suspect had left a previous role at Oman Air last year after concerns were raised about extremist views.

A regional diplomatic source said he had been removed from flight training due to concerns about radical beliefs and reassigned within the airline.

Another source said the pilot was an Omani citizen born in the UAE to an Omani father and Syrian mother, and had spent years living in the Emirates.

An Israeli official said the suspect had worked for Flydubai for approximately eight months. Another source said he had previously been employed by Morocco’s national airline.

Officials and airlines involved were asked for comment as the investigation continued.

Where are the passengers now?

Passengers, described by Netanyahu as almost entirely Israeli, later continued to Israel aboard a replacement Flydubai aircraft sent to Saudi Arabia.

Before their arrival at Ben Gurion Airport, relatives waited anxiously for loved ones. Some carried balloons and signs welcoming them home.

After landing in Israel, passengers were directed to a dedicated reception area, where medical personnel assessed their condition, according to an Israel Airports Authority spokesperson.

A 50-year-old male traveler was hospitalized with an upper-body injury and was reported to be in light condition.

Israeli officials praised the actions of those aboard the plane. President Isaac Herzog called the outcome a great miracle and said Israel and the UAE would examine the incident closely together.

Two US officials said four American citizens who also held Israeli nationality were among those on board. Australia’s foreign minister said two Australian passengers were also traveling on the flight.

Arkia operated a special service on Friday evening to return Israeli nationals stranded in Dubai after Flydubai temporarily paused flights on the route. Another service was expected over the weekend.

Passengers later described the tense moments after arriving in Israel, following what officials characterized as an apparent attempt to crash or seize control of the flight.

What will the investigation look like?

Authorities are continuing to piece together the events surrounding the emergency, with several key details still unclear.

Israeli agencies including Shin Bet, Mossad, the military and the transportation ministry are involved in the inquiry, according to an Israeli official.

One central issue is why the cockpit crew included a pilot from a country that has no formal diplomatic relationship with Israel, the official said.

Israel applies extensive aviation-security procedures due to its history of hijackings and attacks. Travelers departing for Israel may face advance questioning, repeated passport checks, baggage screening and, in certain cases, full-body checks.

Foreign carriers require approval from Israel’s aviation security authorities before flying to or from the country’s airports.

An Israeli security official said Shin Bet is also expected to review airline personnel arriving from the UAE on flights headed to Israel.

Aviation specialist Marco Chan said investigators would likely begin by examining the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder.

They are also expected to interview crew members, reserve pilots and passengers, while determining how access to the cockpit was obtained and reviewing the suspect’s medical and training background.

How are countries responding to the security incident?

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar spoke with UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and the two agreed to work together against extremist threats to aviation security, Israel’s Foreign Ministry said.

Flydubai temporarily halted flights to and from Israel while the investigation was underway, according to an airline spokesperson.

US President Donald Trump said he spoke with Netanyahu and praised the passengers who helped restrain the alleged attacker.

British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said he was deeply concerned by the incident but relieved that the aircraft landed safely because of the actions taken on board.