NZ pilot helped overpower attacker on Israel flight, reports say

One of two off-duty pilots who intervened when a co-pilot stabbed another pilot aboard a flight to Israel is reportedly a New Zealander.

The attacker stabbed his colleague and tried to bring down the FlyDubai flight from the United Arab Emirates to Israel carrying about 170 passengers.

The aircraft plunged from 33,000ft to 17,000ft in roughly a minute as terrified passengers feared a hijacking.

Video shared from the cabin showed a pilot with blood on his shirt being treated in the aisle and another man restrained on the floor.

As Israel scrambled fighter jets out of concern for a possible hijacking, a passenger and crew member broke into the cockpit to subdue the attacker and other crew members gained control of the aircraft, which landed safely in Saudi Arabia.

An Israeli official told aviation media one of these off-duty pilots - one a South African citizen and one from New Zealand - forced their way into the cockpit and overpowered the first officer.

Alongside cabin crew and other passengers, they reportedly pinned the attacker to the floor and regained control of the aircraft.

The Aviation Herald reported: "An Israeli official reported that two other pilots in civil clothes travelling as passengers intervened successfully, these are also the ones shown on the passenger pictures with blood on their shirts. One of the pilots is citizen of South Africa, the other of New Zealand."

1News is seeking confirmation a New Zealander was involved.

New Zealand has a significant pilot training industry and many Kiwi pilots fly in the Middle East.

The cockpit door on all aircraft is locked during flight for security reasons — a measure that became the industry standard after the September 11, 2001 attacks, in which hijackers broke into the cockpits of four domestic flights in the United States.

It's unclear how the passenger and crew managed to get into the FlyDubai cockpit since aircraft doors are reinforced to withstand attempts to break them down.

It was not yet officially confirmed who flew the aircraft for the landing.

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- Additional reporting by The Associated Press