Reports: The pilot who attempted to hijack the Flydubai plane planned to carry out an attack similar to 9/11

The pilot who attempted to crash the Flydubai plane—which was flying the Dubai-Tel Aviv route this Wednesday—planned to carry out an attack similar to the one that took place in the U.S. on September 11, 2001, when four commercial aircraft were hijacked by Al-Qaeda members, Israeli media report, citing a senior official.

The source, who participated in discussions and situation assessments, stated that during flight FZ1073, one pilot stabbed the other, adding that Israel is investigating the suspicion that the aim was to seize control of the Boeing 737 MAX 8 and either cause a crash or hijack the plane. 

The source also confirmed that the aircraft began to plummet during the incident and that other crew members—including pilots on board—managed to regain control of the aircraft.