Flydubai FZ1073 update: Israeli report claims pilot attempted deliberate dive before cockpit struggle

A dramatic new report has emerged about flydubai flight FZ1073, which diverted to Saudi Arabia after transmitting the emergency codes 7700 and 7500 while flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv.

Israel’s Channel 14 reported that authorities are examining a suspicion that one of the pilots may have attempted suicide by putting the aircraft into a rapid descent, taking it from around 30,000 feet to approximately 15,000 feet in a short period of time.

According to the report, the second pilot intervened and struggled with the other pilot, preventing the situation from continuing.

The Boeing 737 MAX 8 subsequently transmitted 7500, the international transponder code for unlawful interference or a possible hijacking, before later returning to the general emergency code 7700.

Flight FZ1073 ultimately diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, where it landed safely.

The latest claim about an attempted deliberate dive and cockpit struggle has not been officially confirmed by flydubai or Saudi authorities. Earlier Israeli reports also indicated that authorities did not believe the aircraft had actually been hijacked.

The precise sequence of events inside the cockpit remains under investigation.