Flydubai flight FZ 1073 took off from Dubai International on Wednesday at 6.49am for Tel Aviv. The 174 passengers, mostly Israelis, faced an unremarkable first two and a half hours before chaos erupted.

Passengers reported screaming and panic as the plane began a precipitous descent, plummeting 18,000 feet within 90 seconds. The aircraft's speed shot from 400 to more than 600 knots as a struggle for control continued in the cockpit.

Inside the cockpit, a co-pilot had stabbed the pilot with a knife. Israeli passenger Tzvika Manes and a crew member rushed through the door, and with help from others, subdued the attacker after some 20 to 30 minutes of struggle.

The aircraft issued a 7700 emergency alert, later changing to 7500 for unlawful interference. The attacker was an Omani national, though his motive remains unclear.