Israeli authorities are investigating how an Omani religious extremist accused of stabbing his co-pilot in an apparent hijacking attempt was allowed to take control of a passenger flight, according to reports.

Passengers and crew members overpowered the alleged terrorist after he attacked his fellow pilot and tried to seize control of the Flydubai aircraft flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv on Wednesday morning. They then fought to regain control of the jet, which had plunged 14,000 feet in just 29 seconds, as the bloodied captain, Smit Machchhar, lay on the floor. An off-duty British pilot is also believed to have been among those who helped bring the aircraft under control.

Religious Extremist

Smit Machchhar LinkedIn/Smit Machchhar

Another pilot has claimed that the attacker, believed to be an Omani national, was a religious extremist. Speaking in Hebrew on Israel's Channel 16, foreign editor and news anchor Yosef Yisrael said he had spoken with a colleague of the alleged attacker, who asked not to be identified, the Daily Mail reported.

The colleague described the pilot as someone who behaved "very strangely," particularly when it came to religious practices that appeared unusual compared with those of his Flydubai colleagues, according to Yisrael's translation. He reportedly prayed frequently and refused to shake hands with women.

Yisrael said his source "expressed contrition" and accused Flydubai of having "betrayed Israel."

"There is no other way to put it, we hired the services of a terrorist and nearly caused the deaths of 180 people," Yisrael quoted the source as saying. "Usually only Emiratis fly to Israel. It is not clear how he got on this flight."

Israel is investigating how the alleged terrorist was allowed to board the flight to Tel Aviv, particularly because Oman does not have diplomatic ties with Israel and foreign crews operating in the region are subject to strict controls.

Flydubai has suspended all flights to and from Israel while it investigates the incident.

On Wednesday morning, flight FZ1073 was rerouted through Jordanian airspace before eventually landing at Tabuk airport in Saudi Arabia.

The aircraft first transmitted a general emergency signal using squawk code 7700, a four-digit code used by pilots to alert air traffic control to an emergency, as it made a U-turn near the border between Jordan and Saudi Arabia.

While over Saudi Arabia, the crew briefly switched to squawk 7500, the code used to indicate unlawful interference or a hijacking. Officials feared the incident could develop into another "September 11" attack, while passengers were credited with preventing what some described as an "Israeli 9/11" by restraining the attacker.

Narrow Escape

A person who heard the crew's mayday communication with air traffic control said the flight was initially redirected between Saudi Arabia and Jordan before eventually being allowed to land in Tabuk, a major city in northwestern Saudi Arabia.

The source, who requested anonymity, said the pilot's voice was shaking as he issued the "mayday" call and reported that a hijacking was underway, adding that ambulances would be required, the Daily Mail reported.

Saudi Arabia initially refused permission for the aircraft to land and instructed the pilot to head toward Jordan instead. The crew was then told to wait for authorization from the Jordanian military, but the aircraft was subsequently turned away.

The pilot then headed back toward Saudi Arabia and said he had no choice but to land in Tabuk. Air traffic controllers did not provide an explanation for the earlier refusals.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Wednesday afternoon that the attacker had been arrested and was "currently being questioned by the Saudi authorities." His identity, intentions and motive have not yet been confirmed.

Passengers and crew members, including captain Smit Machchhar, have been praised for their actions in stopping what is believed to have been an attempted suicide attack. An off-duty British pilot was reportedly among those who helped.

Machchhar has been credited with helping protect the 174 passengers on board, including four Americans. While the aircraft was in flight, he managed to confront his co-pilot inside the cockpit and prevent further attempts to interfere with the plane's systems.

Distressing footage showed Machchhar lying on the floor covered in blood as passengers attended to his injuries. Another pilot appeared to be lying unconscious nearby. Passengers could be heard telling one of the men: "You saved the plane."

The Indian Embassy in Saudi Arabia has since confirmed that Machchhar is receiving treatment at a hospital in Tabuk.

Israel's Defense Minister Israel Katz described the incident as "an attempted jihadist terror attack," saying it had been "thwarted only thanks to the heroism of several Israeli passengers."