Investigators work to determine why a pilot apparently tried to crash a FlyDubai flight to Israel

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JERUSALEM (AP) — Investigators worked Thursday to determine why an Omani pilot stabbed the captain of a flight to Israel , causing the plane to plummet dangerously before others on board landed it in Saudi Arabia.

Passengers on the FlyDubai plane — which was carrying 174 people, mostly Israelis, from the United Arab Emirates to Tel Aviv — have described how the bloodied Indian captain managed to open the cockpit door to let them in before they grappled with the copilot and stabilized a descent so sharp that the plane's rudder was torn away.

"We felt helpless, suspended in midair, and I didn't know who to turn to. But it was all instinct to survive," Asaf Rajuan, who was among those who intervened, said in a statement shared by Israel's presidency.

A regional official briefed on the investigation said the suspect, an Omani citizen, was under arrest and confirmed that Saudi authorities were working with countries, including Israel, to try to determine a motive. He said the UAE, the United States and Oman also were involved.

"All possible scenarios, from terrorism to mental disorders, are being looked into. Nothing is ruled out for now," said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss an ongoing probe.

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