The FlyDubai cockpit attack and the unanswered questions
A FlyDubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia after the co-pilot attacked the captain, and the official account of what happened does not hold together.
- The co-pilot, an Omani national, stabbed the captain mid-flight; passengers and crew forced their way into the cockpit and the plane landed safely in Tabuk.
- Israel's government immediately called it an attempted terror attack and hinted Iran was behind it, without showing evidence.
- The details clash: Oman has no ties with Israel and its nationals are barred from flying into Tel Aviv, yet he was in the cockpit with a knife.
- Flight data showing the plane losing half its altitude in under two minutes is hard to square with photos of an undamaged cabin and an upright cup of water.
- The timing is odd too: a day earlier Netanyahu warned enemies would attack before Israel's elections, and the attack happened well before the plane was near Israel.
Outlook: Nobody has said who will run an independent investigation, so the competing claims will likely harden before any evidence settles them.