A Boeing 737 MAX on Fly Dubai Flight 1073 experienced a violent plunge that subjected the aircraft to near-sonic speeds and extreme G-forces, yet managed a safe emergency landing.
Two hours into the flight from Dubai airport, a first officer attacked the captain at around 34,000 feet. At 9:21 a.m., the aircraft's nose was pushed down to an extreme 39-degree angle, rapidly accelerating to an estimated peak velocity close to the speed of sound (Mach 0.96), well above the plane's maximum operating speed of Mach 0.82.
Over 92 seconds, the aircraft fell 17,400 feet. The violent maneuver subjected the airframe to an estimated 3 Gs of force, exceeding the 737 MAX's operating limit of 2.5 Gs. Part of the rudder snapped off the tail during the dive.
With the first officer subdued and the captain wounded, two off-duty pilots from the cabin took control. By 9:24 a.m., they regained control of the damaged aircraft and flew it for over an hour to Tabuk Airport, where it landed safely around 9:45 a.m. The aircraft remains parked at Tabuk Airport pending extensive inspections to assess potential structural damage.
Source: Wall Street Journal US Business · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing