'A LOT OF BLOOD': Passengers' families describe CHAOS on diverted flight

. NO MORE CHAFING. >> Bill: ALL RIGHT, GOOD. MORNING, EVERYONE. WELCOME TO OUR COVERAGE AFTER A. TERRIFYING INCIDENT OVERNIGHT IN. THE SKIES OVER THE MIDDLE EAST. WE HAVE A COMMERCIAL JET FLYING. OUT OF DUBAI EASTBOUND TO. WESTBOUND TOWARD TEL AVIV, ISRAEL. FORCED TO MAKE AN EMERGENCY. LANDING IN SAUDI ARABIA. THAT DIVERSION REPORTEDLY. STEMMING FROM A FIGHT BETWEEN. THE TWO PILOTS ON BOARD. AT THE MOMENT WE'RE TRYING TO. PIECE IT TOGETHER AND UNDERSTAND. WHAT HAPPENED INSIDE THAT. COCKPIT.

GOOD MORNING, EVERYBODY. BREAKING NEWS AS WE COME TO AIR. I'M BILL HEMMER LIVE IN NEW YORK. CITY. GOOD MORNING. >> Dana: WHAT LED TO THE. DISTRESS CALL FROM THE COCKPIT. IS STILL NOT CLEAR. IT TRIGGERED FEARS OF A. HIJACKING FORCING ISRAEL TO. SCRAMBLE FIGHTER JETS AND ADDING. TO THE SHEER CHAOS, THE PLANE. PLUNGED FROM 30,000 TO 17,000. FEET IN ONLY A MINUTE. >> Bill: WE'RE STILL COLLECTING. INTERVIEWS FROM PEOPLE ON BOARD. HERE IS THE FATHER OF A.

PASSENGER. HE IS DESCRIBING HOW HE HEARD. ABOUT THE INCIDENT. WATCH HERE. >> WE WOKE UP THIS MORNING AND A. REGULAR MORNING. WE KNOW THAT HE HAD TO COME AT. 10:00 TO ARRIVE. AT 10:00 AND 9:30 WE HEARD ON. THE NEWS WHAT HAPPENED AND THE. SKY OVER ABU DHABI. HE SAID EVERYTHING IS OKAY.

HE DIDN'T SEND ME THAT MUCH. WE CANNOT BE IN TOUCH WITH HIM. >> Dana: JEFF PAUL IS REPORTING. LIVE FROM TEL AVIV WITH THE. LATEST. WHAT DO YOU KNOW? >> PASSENGERS WHO SPOKE TO FOX. NEWS WHO WERE ON THAT PLANE TELL. OILS AT ONE POINT THEY THOUGHT. THEY WERE GOING TO DIE. THEY SAY THERE WAS SOME SORT OF. STABBING BETWEEN THE CO-PILOT. AND CAPTAIN OF THE PLANE AND. AFTER THAT THE PLANE STARTED TO. SHARPLY NOSE-DIVE.

NEW IMAGES APPEAR TO SHOW AT. LEAST ONE PASS EVENINGER COVERED. IN BLOOD WHO APPEARED TO GET. INVOLVED TO TRY TO HELP. WE KNOW THE PLANE FLY DUBAI. FLIGHT WAS FLYING FROM DUBAI TO. TEL AVIV THIS MORNING. AFTER FLYING 2 1/2 HOURS THE. PLANE SIGNALED AN EMERGENCY ON. BOARD ENTERING JORDANIAN. AIRSPACE AND ABRUPTLY DESCENDED. 16,000 FEET. ISRAEL SCRAMBLED FIGHTER JETS. FEARING THERE HAD BEEN A. HIJACKING.

ONE PASSENGER SAYING AFTER THE. CO-PILOT STABBED THE CAPTAIN. THEY THINK HE COLLAPSE HAD ONTO. THE CONTROLS. THE PLANE DOVE FOR SEVERAL. MINUTES. PEOPLE SCREAMING. AT ONE POINT THE POWER WENT OUT. THE MOTHER OF ONE OF THOSE. PASSENGERS SAYING THIS. >> AFTER A FEW MINUTES, TWO. OTHER PILOTS TOOK THE CONTROL.

AND THE ISRAELIS -- HE TOOK A. KNIFE AND TRIED TO KILL THE. PILOT. PUT HIM ON THE FLOOR AND THERE. WAS A LOT OF BLOOD AROUND. >> AS YOU LOOK AT LIVE IMAGES OF. THE AIRPORT JOUST SIDE OF TEL. AVIV WE ARE WAITING FOR THAT. FLIGHT THAT WE LEARNED A LITTLE. WHILE AGO IS SET TO TAKE OFF.

FROM SAUDI ARABIA AND RETURN TO. TEL AVIV. SOUNDS LIKE PASSENGERS EAGERLY. WAITING TO GET BACK. FAMILIES WAITING TO GET THEM. BACK. WE'RE ALSO LEARNING THAT IT. SOUNDS LIKE PASSENGERS ON BOARD. ACTUALLY GOT INVOLVED TO RESTORE. ORDER. ISRAELI MEDIA REPORTING THERE. MIGHT HAVE BEEN SOME ADDITIONAL. CREW ON BOARD WHO HELPED LAND. THE PLANE. WE ALSO KNOW THE PILOT AND. CO-PILOT INVOLVED HAVE SINCE BE. HOSPITALIZED. ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN. NETANYAHU HAS SINCE CONVENED A.

SECURITY CABINET AS THEY WORK TO. FIGURE OUT WHAT EXACTLY HAPPENED. AND WHY. >> Dana: A QUESTION IN OUR. COUNTRY ON MANY FLIGHTS WE HAVE. AIR MARSHALS, DOES ISRAEL DO THE. SAME? >> IN THIS CASE, THIS IS NOT AN. ISRAELI AIRPLANE SO THIS IS AN. EMIRATI AIRPLANE. IT'S UNCLEAR IF THEY HAD AN AIR. MARSHAL ON BOARD. ACCORDING TO SOME OF THE. PASSENGERS THERE WAS AN EXTRA.

CREW ON BOARD WHO STEPPED IN TO. LAND THIS PLANE. WE ARE TRYING TO GET MORE. DETAILS. HOPEFULLY THE PASSENGERS START. TO RETURN BACK HERE TO TEL AVIV. TO FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENED AND. WHO STEPPED UP TO SAVE THE. AIRPLANE. >> Bill: HOW MUCH DO YOU. UNDERSTAND THE ISRAELI AIR FORCE. THAT SCRAMBLED JETS TO RESPOND? >> IT SEEMS LIKE STANDARD. PROTOCOL. THEY DID NOT WANT THIS PLANE, IF. IT WAS HIJACKED, TO LAND IN. ISRAEL. THOSE JETS ARE SCRAMBLED TO TRY. TO DIVERT IT AND FORCE IT TO.

LAND SOMEWHERE ELSE. THIS BEING SAUDI ARABIA. AGAIN, IT IS HARD TO TELL AT THE. MOMENT IF THIS WAS, IN FACT, A. HIJACKING, IF THIS WAS SOME SORT. OF DISPUTE PURELY BETWEEN THE. PILOT AND THE CO-PILOT AND. EXACTLY WHAT THE INTENTIONS OF. THE CO-PILOT WERE. THAT IS STILL A MYSTERY AT THIS. POINT. >> Dana: THANK YOU SO MUCH. >> Bill: WANT TO BRING IN DAN. HOFFMAN FORMER C.I.A. CHIEF OF. STATION FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR. ONE THING THAT IS INTRIGUING. HERE THESE THREE NATIONS, UAE,

SAUDI ARABIA AND ISRAEL HAVE A. PACT CALLED THE ABRAHAM ACCORDS. ALL THREE COUNTRIES ARE. RESPONSIBLE FOR INVESTIGATING. THIS AND FOR SHARING. INFORMATION. HOW IS THAT GOING TO WORK? A TEST OF THAT ACCORD. >> IT IS AND I THINK IT IS A. FOUNDATION FOR THE ACCORDS. AS WE ALL KNOW THERE ARE A. MYRIAD OF THREATS IN THE MIDDLE. EAST AND THOSE THREE NATIONS. CERTAINLY RELY ON THEIR. INTELLIGENCE AGENCIES TO KEEP. PEOPLE SAFE. IN THIS CASE THIS WAS AN.

EXTRAORDINARILY MISSED. OPPORTUNITY TO DETECT A THREAT. AND PREEMPT IT BEFORE ANY HARM. WAS CAUSED. THROUGH THE BRAVERY OF ONE OF. THE PILOTS AND PASSENGERS WAS A. HUMAN TRAGEDY NARROWLY AVERTED. WE CAN BE SURE NOW WE ARE IN. INCIDENT RESPONSE PHASE THAT. ISRAELI AND SAUDI AND EMIRATI. INTELLIGENCE WILL COLLABORATE ON. THE FORENSICS AND SEE WHERE WE. MISSED THE OPPORTUNITIES TO VET. THIS PILOT WHO APPARENTLY TRIED.

TO HIJACK THE PLANE. WE DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS. TERRORIST INSPIRED, IF HE WAS A. TERRORIST OR HE HAD MENTAL. ILLNESS. WE HAVE TO WAIT FOR THE DETAILS. A LOT OF WORK TO BE DONE RIGHT. NOW. I WOULD EMPHASIZE WORK TO BE. DONE TO INSURE IF IT WERE A. TERRORIST ATTACK AND IT WAS THE. AL QAEDA M.O., THEN THEY WOULD. LAUNCH ADDITIONAL ATTACKS AT THE. SAME TIME. WE KNOW THAT'S WHAT AL QAEDA. TYPICALLY DOES. LOTS OF UNANSWERED QUESTIONS. YOU CAN BE SURE ISRAELI.

INTELLIGENCE WITH THEIR GULF. ALLY PARTNERS ARE ON THE JOB. >> Dana: IT IS COMING AT A TIME. OF HEIGHTENED WORRIES ACROSS THE. MIDDLE EAST. YOU ALSO LEAD INTO AN ELECTION, THE OCTOBER 7TH ANNIVERSARY IS. COMING UP. I KNOW THAT WE ARE GOING TO BE. CAUTIOUS AND WAIT AND SEE. IT FEELS LIKE THERE IS PROBABLY. A HEIGHTENED ACROSS THE REGION. INCLUDING THE WAR WITH IRAN THAT. I DIDN'T EVEN MENTION. >> RIGHT.

I FEEL STRONGLY THAT EVEN IF. IT'S PROVEN THAT THIS PARTICULAR. CASE WAS NOT RELATED TO. TERRORISM, THAT THERE ARE ALL. SORTS OF OTHER THREATS OUT. THERE. AND THAT ISRAELI INTELLIGENCE. WORKING WITH AGAIN GULF. PARTNERS, SAUDIS AND EMIRATES IN. PARTICULAR BUT NOT LIMITED. THERE. JORDANIANS, BAHRAIN, THAT THEY. NEED TO GO OUT AND COLLECT THE. INTELLIGENCE TO KEEP PEOPLE SAFE. IN THE REGION AND BEYOND. APPARENTLY ONE OF THE PILOTS. REPORTEDLY WAS OMANI.

YOU CAN BE SURE THAT THE. INTELLIGENCE SERVICES IN THE. REGION WILL BE ENGAGING DIRECTLY. WITH OMANI INTELLIGENCE TO GET. AS MANY DETAILS AS THEY CAN ON. THIS PILOT. >> Bill: WE'LL WAIT FOR MORE. INFORMATION FROM THE MIDDLE EAST. ON THAT STORY. IN THE MEANTIME ANOTHER BREAKING. NEWS STORY FROM OVERNIGHT. HAPPENED IN IRAQ. FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 11 OR 12. YEARS THE UNITED STATES IS NO. LONGER A MILITARY PARTNER IN. THAT COUNTRY. PRETTY STUNNING. U.S. FORCES EXIT IRAQ AFTER TWO.

DECADE LEAVING OPENING FOR IRAN. THE CONTEXT CAME DOWN TWO YEARS. AGO WHEN WE NEGOTIATEED WITH THE. CURRENT IRAQI GOVERNMENT TO. WITHDRAW. WE HAVE LIVED UP TO THAT. BUT AT THE SAME TIME, YOU HAVE. ALL THESE IRANIAN PROXIES IN. IRAQ INCLUDING ONE OF THOSE. PROXIES THAT ALLEGEDLY FIRED ON. THAT PIPELINE IN SAUDI ARABIA. ONLY TWO WEEKS AGO. HOW DO YOU ANALYZE THE FUTURE. FOR THIS DECISION AND THAT. COUNTRY AND THE REGION? >> WELL, FIRST I WOULD EMPHASIZE.

THE U.S. MILITARY OPERATING FROM. THOSE BASES ACCOMPLISHED A. TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OVER THE PAST. DECADE TAKING THE FIGHT TO THE. ISIS ENEMY IN COLLABORATION WITH. IRAQI PARTNERS. WHAT WE HAVE NOW, YOU'RE RIGHT, ARE IRANIAN PROXY IRAQI MILITIAS. WHO HAVE TARGETED U.S. INSTALLATIONS, OUR EMBASSY AS. WELL AS IN THE REGION AGAINST. SAUDI ARABIA. THEY MAY YET FEEL EMBOLDENED. THE JURY IS OUT WHETHER THE.

IRAQI GOVERNMENT CAN. DEMILITARIZE THOSE MILITIAS. THEY ARE FIRMLY ENTRENCHED IN. IRAQI GOVERNMENT, AN OUTGROWTH. OF THE WAR. IRAN WAS ABLE TO PENETRATE IRAQI. MINISTRIES AND A HEZBOLLAH MODEL. OF TERRORIST GROUPS INSIDE THE. COUNTRY. EVEN IF OUR BASES ARE NO LONGER. THERE WE NEED TO INSURE WE HAVE. THE CAPABILITY TO CONTINUE TO. SUPPORT OUR IRAQI PARTNERS. THEIR SECURITY SERVICE AS THEY. DEAL WITH THESE IRAQI MILITANTS.

THE GOVERNMENT OF IRAQ SHOULD. HAVE A MONOPOLY ON THE USE OF. FORCE IN THEIR OWN COUNTRY AND. INSURE THOSE IRAQI MILITANTS. DON'T LAUNCH WHAT IS ESSENTIALLY. AN ACT OF WAR STRIKES AGAINST. NEIGHBORS. >> Dana: DAN, I DON'T KNOW IF. YOU CAN SEE THE SCREEN NOW. WE ARE LOOKING LIVE IN BAGHDAD. IF YOU CAN PULL IT UP FOR US TO. SEE. THEY ARE HAVING A THREE-DAY. CELEBRATION OF SOVEREIGNTY. SOME OF THOSE FLAGS ARE IRANIAN. BACKED MILITIAS WHICH WOULD NOT. BE A GREAT THING FOR IRAQ.

I KNOW THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE IN. IRAQ WHO ARE CONCERNED ABOUT US. LEAVING. >> THE OVERWHELMING MAJORITY OF. IRAQIS DON'T WANT TO SEE THEIR. SOVEREIGNTY GO TO IRAN. SO THIS IS A BATTLE THAT IRAQ IS. GOING TO OF TO FIGHT. IT WILL BE A LONG BATTLE. THEY'VE SAID THE IRAQI. GOVERNMENT HAS SAID THEY CAN DO. THIS BY THE END OF NEXT YEAR. I THINK REALISTICALLY IT MAY. TAKE MORE TIME THAN THAT. WE HAVE TO INSURE THAT NOT ONLY.

THE UNITED STATES BUT OUR. PARTNERS IN THE REGION, GULF. ALLY PARTNERS ASSIST IRAQ WITH. WHATEVER THEY NEED BE IT. INTELLIGENCE AND FUNDS AS WELL. AS MILITARY EQUIPMENT TO INSURE. THAT THEY CAN RID THEIR COUNTRY. OF THESE IRANIAN PROXY. TERRORISTS. >> Bill: THE OTHER THING WE CAN. SEE FROM THIS IS THE RED CARPET. PRESENTATION THAT SOME SORT OF. CEREMONY IS ABOUT TO GET. UNDERWAY. FROM THE CAMERA A MOMENT AGO IT. LOOKED LIKE THERE WERE DRONES.

SITTING ON THE CARPET. MAYBE OTHER DRONES, HARD TO TELL. FROM THIS ANGLE. ALL OF THIS IS BEING TELEVISED. THROUGHOUT THE MIDDLE EAST AND. CERTAINLY TO IRAN BECAUSE WE'RE. GETTING IT HERE AND THAT RIGHT. THERE IN THE BUSINESS IS CALLED. A SHOT. THEY HAVE THIS LONG LENS AND. THIS LONG CAMERA ARM THAT. EXTENDS 30 OR 40 FEET AND CAN GO. OVER THE CROWD AND THIS IS WHAT. IS BEING CARRIED NOW IN MIDDLE. EASTERN MEDIA. DAN, THANK YOU ON BOTH TOPICS, BREAKING RIGHT NOW AND WE'.