FZ1073 Diversion: Pilots Reportedly Fought, Not Hijack, Says Israeli Official

Flight FZ1073 – (Special Correspondent/Web Desk) – The FZ1073 diversion has raised many questions after a flight from Dubai to Israel landed in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday. An Israeli official says the emergency signals came from a fight between the pilots, not a hijacking.

The plane was a Boeing 737 heading to Tel Aviv. While it flew over Jordan, it turned toward Saudi Arabia and sent a general emergency signal, according to the flight tracking website Flightradar24.

A few minutes later, the plane sent a second signal. This one can point to possible unlawful interference, a code often linked to hijack fears.

The plane then sent the general emergency signal again. It finally landed at Tabuk airport in northwestern Saudi Arabia.

The Israeli prime minister’s office said the incident was not believed to be a hijacking. An Israeli official, who did not want to be named, told Reuters that the pilots had a physical fight with each other.

It is still unclear whether either pilot sent the signal on purpose. No official report has explained this yet.

Flight data reviewed by CNN shows a sharp drop in height. The plane was flying at about 34,000 feet. Within two minutes, it fell by about 17,400 feet to around 16,600 feet. This happened at about 1:20am Eastern Time.

Israeli fighter jets were sent up after the emergency signal was received, an Israel Defence Forces spokesperson told CNN.

Three Israeli security officials also told Reuters that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held talks about the flight. Military chief Eyal Zamir held a situational assessment with the air force commander and other senior officers, the military said.

Before #FZ1073 changed its squawk to 7700, we observed extreme fluctuations in the transmitted altitude data, with calculated vertical speeds ranging from approximately -30,000 to +10,000 ft/min.

For context, vertical speeds during normal operations rarely exceed ±4,000 ft/min.… pic.twitter.com/Zgyn0iQ33a

— Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) September 30, 2026

The story from the ground is more worrying. Yasmin Abu Kasis says her daughter Miriam was on board. According to her, Miriam heard screaming and saw a man take a knife and force the pilot to the floor. She said there was blood everywhere.

That account does not match the Israeli official’s version. It is not clear how the two stories fit together, and neither has been confirmed by an independent source.

An airline spokesperson said the flight had an “incident” on the way to Tel Aviv and moved to Tabuk. The plane landed safely, and all passengers were safe and accounted for. The spokesperson gave no more details.

For now, many facts about the FZ1073 diversion remain unknown. Officials have not said what started the alleged fight. They have also not said how the pilots were treated after landing or when the passengers will travel on.

Air safety experts often say that early reports in such events can change. Details usually become clearer after investigators speak to the crew and study the flight recorders.

Until then, readers should treat each claim with care. The Israeli official’s account and the passenger family’s account both need proof from the authorities.

We will update this story as soon as new information comes in.