Boeing 737 MAX 8 Survives Extreme Dive After Attempted Terror Attack on Flydubai Flight
Investigations continue into an attempted terror attack on a flydubai flight to Ben Gurion Airport, where a Boeing 737 MAX 8 survived an extreme high-speed dive near the sound barrier.
The investigation continues into last Wednesday's attempted terror attack aboard a flydubai flight to Ben Gurion Airport, revealing systemic warnings and security lapses. Aviation experts are marveling at how the passenger aircraft survived a catastrophic dive that saw speeds reach 166 meters per second—equivalent to the impact of falling 44 stories of the Empire State Building.
Flight FZ 1073 was operated by a nearly four-year-old Boeing 737 MAX 8. While the model has faced intense scrutiny in the past, its structural integrity during this near-disaster has drawn widespread praise. Alberto Paduanelli, owner of the UK-based ALPA flight simulator, told Reuters that a prolonged high-speed dive places immense stress on an airframe, describing the aircraft's survival as nothing short of a miracle.
Near the Sound Barrier
At the start of the incident, the aircraft was cruising at approximately 10,300 meters before being pitched downward at a 39-degree angle—three times steeper than a standard descent. Over the course of 30 seconds, it plummeted nearly 5,000 meters, peaking at speeds exceeding 1,100 km/h, dangerously close to the sound barrier. Paduanelli explained that the autopilot likely disengaged at the onset of the dive, triggering rapid acceleration.
"This was an incredible display of precise and powerful structural engineering and design," noted US President Donald Trump in a social media post praising the aircraft's durability.
Once the attacker was subdued and control was regained, the crew managed to decelerate the aircraft to 720 km/h within just 43 seconds. Pulling up the nose generated up to 3G of negative gravitational force, well above the 2.5G structural design limit—forces typically experienced by fighter pilots and astronauts. During the ordeal, a portion of the trailing-edge flap and the rudder were torn away.
Surviving Beyond Design Limits
Commercial aircraft undergo rigorous testing, including stress tests up to 1,000 km/h, but the flydubai flight surpassed those operational thresholds. Aviation safety experts, including former Federal Aviation Administration pilot Bob Stony speaking to Bloomberg, noted that losing a rudder entirely presents unprecedented challenges for a safe landing.
The aircraft currently remains grounded at an airport in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, awaiting comprehensive structural diagnostics to determine if it sustained irreversible damage.
