The flight, which carried 174 passengers and crew members, departed Dubai at 7:05 a.m. local time (0305 GMT). According to detailed flight data, the aircraft was cruising smoothly at an altitude of 34,000 feet over Saudi Arabia when the situation deteriorated. In a matter of minutes, the plane’s movements became erratic, characterized by violent climbs and dives. The data indicates the aircraft shed approximately 17,000 feet of altitude and surged to a ground speed of nearly 600 knots.
This rapid acceleration represented a significant deviation from standard operational parameters, with the ground speed reaching approximately 45% faster than the aircraft’s normal cruising pace. The vertical speed data reflects this instability, showing a rapid descent followed by a recovery, as the aircraft transitioned from its stable cruising altitude to a lower trajectory before stabilizing.
Israeli officials stated that the intervention by those on board prevented the co-pilot from executing the crash. Following the recapture of the cockpit, a reserve crew took over the flight’s management. The aircraft was subsequently diverted and landed in Saudi Arabia, ensuring the safety of the 174 individuals on board.
The incident highlights the critical role of crew coordination and passenger response in aviation security. While the specific motivations and actions of the co-pilot prior to the intervention are subject to official investigation, the flight data provides a clear technical record of the aircraft’s abnormal performance during the incident. The successful landing in Saudi Arabia concludes the immediate operational crisis, shifting the focus to security reviews and the ongoing investigation into the circumstances that led to the co-pilot’s actions.
Aviation authorities are expected to analyze the black box data and flight records to fully reconstruct the sequence of events. The incident underscores the ongoing challenges in aviation security, particularly regarding access to cockpit controls and the necessity for robust protocols to handle potential intra-crew threats during flight operations.
