Saudi Arabia and Jordan initially refused landing clearance to a flydubai flight during an alleged terrorist hijacking attempt, even after a distressing Mayday call from the aircraft, according to multiple reports.
After passengers rushed the cockpit and overpowered the first officer accused of attacking the captain, a shaken voice contacted Saudi air traffic control to request permission to land, a source who heard the transmission told The Associated Press.
The unidentified caller reported the attempted hijacking using a “Mayday” distress signal and warned that ambulances would be needed when the aircraft reached the ground.
Captain Smit Machchhar, an Indian national, suffered serious injuries after being stabbed in the head, arm and torso. Blood was reportedly scattered across the cockpit floor.
Air traffic controllers could hear passengers screaming as those aboard struggled to regain control and restore the aircraft to the correct altitude after it plunged approximately 18,000 feet.
The source said the off-duty pilots who took command of the aircraft were denied permission to land and instead instructed to proceed toward Jordanian airspace.
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The plane was reportedly told to wait for Jordanian military authorization before landing. Several minutes later, however, the request was rejected and the aircraft was turned away.
The pilots then diverted back toward Saudi Arabia and made another request to land. Authorities eventually cleared the aircraft to proceed to Tabuk Airport.
The air traffic controllers did not explain why the flight’s initial landing request had been denied, the source said.
Flydubai Flight 1073 was traveling to Israel on Wednesday when its co-pilot, who has not been publicly identified, allegedly attacked Machchhar in an attempt to crash the aircraft, according to Israeli officials.
The plane landed safely in Tabuk, where Machchhar was taken to a hospital for treatment. Indian officials later confirmed that the veteran pilot was in stable condition.
Passengers were placed on a rescue flight and arrived in Tel Aviv several hours after the incident.
