DEVELOPING: Netanyahu says co-pilot stabbed captain, tried to crash flight

>> Bill: 9:35. BACK TO BREAKING NEWS FROM. OVERNIGHT. WE'RE GETTING NEW INFORMATION AT. THE HOUR. BENJAMIN NETANYAHU SPEAKING IN. HEBREW A FEW MOMENTS AGO IN. JERUSALEM CONCLUDED HIS. COMMENTS. HE GAVE US A BIT MORE. INFORMATION. LET'S GO AHEAD AND TELL YOU WHAT. WE UNDERSTAND. YOU HAD A PACKED ISRAEL-BOUND. FLIGHT FORCED TO MAKE AN. EMERGENCY LANDING IN SAUDI. ARABIA AFTER WHAT IS BEING. DESCRIBED AS A VIOLENT INCIDENT. BETWEEN THE TWO PILOTS.

WHAT YOU SEE THERE IS RIGHT. BEFORE THE JORDANIAN BORDER. YOU SEE THIS FLIGHT TAKE OFF AND. THEN MAKE A SHARP RIGHT-HAND. TURN AND HERE IS THE TIMELINE AS. WE UNDERSTAND IT. TAKES OFF OUT OF DUBAI AT 3:05. ALTITUDE FLUCTUATIONS AT 5:2ONE. THE PLANE DROPS MORE THAN 14,000. FEET IN UNDER 30 SECONDS. IMAGINE THAT AS A PASSENGER. AT 5:3ONE THIS SQUAWK SYSTEM.

THAT SENDS A FOUR DIGIT CODE. WHEN CALLED UPON AND WHEN. NECESSARY CHANGES TO THE CODE. SIGNIFYING A GENERAL EMERGENCY. TRANSMITTED TO THE TRANSMITTER. ON BOARD THE FLIGHT WHICH IS. LOCATED BETWEEN THE TWO PILOTS. THE PILOT ON THE LEFT, CO-PILOT. ON THE RIGHT. SEVEN MINUTES LATER THAT SQUAWK. SIGNAL'S UNLAWFUL INTERFERENCE. THE AIRCRAFT FINALLY LANDS AT. 6:4FIVE IN SAUDI ARABIA. WE'VE ALSO BEEN HEARING FROM. FAMILY MEMBERS WITH LOVED ONES.

ON BOARD HERE IS THE MOTHER OF A. PASSENGER DESCRIBING HOW HER. DAUGHTER DESCRIBED THE PLANE. LOSING CONTROL AND THE SHEER. PANIC SHE HEARD ON BOARD. >> MY DAUGHTER, SHE WAS ON THE. FLIGHT FROM DUBAI TO ISRAEL. THEY HEARD -- SOMEBODY NEXT TO. HER THE PLANE START TO LOSE.

CONTROL. ALL THE PEOPLE SCREAMED. ISRAELIS ON THEIR -- A GUY TOOK. A KNIFE AND TRIED TO KILL THE. PILOT. THERE WAS --. >> Bill: YOU CAN IMAGINE THAT, RIGHT THE WAY SHE DESCRIBES THAT. WITH THE BLOOD AROUND. WAIT FOR MORE ON THAT. THE OFFICE OF ISRAELI PRIME. MINISTER SAYING THE SITUATION IS.

UNDER CONTROL. I ALSO BELIEVE HE SAID THE FLY. DUBAI FLIGHTS INTO ISRAEL ARE. TEMPORARILY SUSPENDED FOR NOW. WE'LL TRACK THAT. >> Dana: SEEMS LIKE A GOOD. PRECAUTION. CAN YOU IMAGINE AS A PASSENGER. DROPPING THAT QUICKLY? THERE HAD TO BE A LOT OF PANIC. I HOPE WE GET A CHANCE TO HEAR. FROM THE PEOPLE WHO HELPED LAND. THE PLANE. IF IT'S DROPPING AT WHAT POINT. DO THEY LEAVE THEIR SEATS IN. ORDER TO GO AND HELP LAND THIS. PLANE SAFELY? JEFF PAUL IS HERE. JEFF, AS NETANYAHU WAS SPEAKING. WHAT DID YOU PICK UP ON WHAT HE.

SAID? >> WE'RE STILL WORKING ON A. PERFECT TRANSLATION OF THAT. ONE OF THE MAIN THINGS THAT. STUCK OUT IS THAT BENJAMIN. NETANYAHU SAYING THAT ONE OF THE. PILOTS STABBED THE OTHER PILOT. AND THEN APPARENTLY ACCORDING TO. BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, TRIED TO. CRASH THE PLANE. I WILL READ A LITTLE BIT FROM. THIS TRANSLATION. A ROUGH TRANSLATION. DURING THE FLIGHT THEY WERE. APPROACHING ISRAEL ONE OF THE. PILOTS STABBED THE OTHER PILOT. AND ATTEMPTED TO CRASH THE PLANE.

WITH EVERYONE ON BOARD. I SPOKE WITH ONE OF THE ISRAELI. PASSENGERS. HE TOLD ME THAT THE PLANE WENT. INTO A SPIN AND BEGAN TO. NOSE-DIVE. HE TOLD ME THAT SOMEHOW HE. MANAGED TO BREAK INTO THE. COCKPIT WITH ONE OF THE CREW. MEMBERS AND TOGETHER THEY. SUBDUED THE PILOT WHO CARRIED. OUT THE STABBING WHILE HE WAS. ATTEMPTING TO SABOTAGE THE. AIRCRAFT SYSTEM. AN ADDITIONAL FLIGHT CREW WAS ON. BOARD. ENTERED THE COCKPIT AND. STABILIZED THE AIRCRAFT.

I SALUTE THESE HEROES WHO. DEMONSTRATED EXTRAORDINARILY. RESOURCEFULNESS AND COURAGE. THEY SAVED MANY LIVES AND. PREVENTED A MAJOR DISASTER. NETANYAHU SAYING THAT PLANE WAS. ABLE TO LAND SAFELY IN SAUDI. ARABIA AND WE ARE SEEING REPORTS. THAT THEY ARE TRYING TO GET. PEOPLE BACK ON THE DIFFERENT. PLANE TO GET THEM BACK HERE TO. TEL AVIV. WE'LL BE WATCHING THAT VERY. CLOSELY. A LOT OF FAMILIES RIGHT NOW AT. THE AIRPORT TRYING TO GET ANY. MORE INFORMATION AS THEY WAIT. FOR THEIR LOVED ONES TO GET.

BACK. A VERY SCARY MORNING FOR MANY. PEOPLE HERE IN THE REGION. FOR MANY OF THESE FAMILIES. ALREADY ON HEIGHTENED ALERT AS. THE WAR IN IRAN CONTINUES AND AS. ESCALATIONS CONTINUE IN THE RED. SEA BETWEEN YEMEN'S HOUTHIS AND. SAUDI ARABIA. THE NEWS MANY FAMILIES DID NOT. WANT TO WAKE UP TO. ACCORDING TO PRIME MINISTER. BENJAMIN NETANYAHU IT SOUNDS. LIKE A LOT OF PEOPLE STEPPPPED , GOT THE PLANE TO LAND SAFELY AND. HE IS CALLING THEM HEROES TODAY. >> Bill: LET'S TRY TO CLARIFY A. COUPLE OF THINGS.

OUR UNDERSTANDING THE CO-PILOT. WENT AFTER THE PILOT. IF THAT'S THE CASE, WE DON'T. KNOW IF THERE WAS A BEEF BETWEEN. THESE TWO MEN OR IN THAT REGION. IS ANYONE OFFICIALLY USING THE. WORD TERRORISM AT THIS POINT? >> THAT'S THE THING WE HAVE TO. BE EXTREMELY CAREFUL ABOUT. I HAVEN'T SEEN OFFICIALLY. ANYONE, ESPECIALLY ANY. GOVERNMENT SOURCES SAYING WITH. 100% CERTAINTY THAT THIS IS. SOMEHOW TERROR RELATED.

THERE WERE SO MANY DIFFERENT. ELEMENTS AT PLAY AND STILL A LOT. MORE INFORMATION WE NEED TO. LEARN. BUT YES, IT SOUNDS LIKE. ACCORDING TO MANY ACCOUNTS FROM. PASSENGERS IT WAS THE CO-PILOT. WHO STABBED THE CAPTAIN. NOW WHY THEY WERE FIGHTING, WHY. THATAT STABBING HAPPENED, THAT'. UNCLEAR. AND ALSO THE MAIN THING WHAT WAS. THE INTENTION OF THE STABBING? WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN AFTER. THAT? IF YOU READ BENJAMIN NETANYAHU'S. STATEMENT OR LISTENED TO THAT. STATEMENT IT SOUNDS LIKE THE. CO-PILOT OR THE PERSON WHO WAS.

ACCUSED OF THE STABBING WAS. TRYING TO THEN SABOTAGE THE. PLANE AND ACCORDING TO. NETANYAHU, CRASH THE PLANE. >> Dana: I THINK THAT'S ONE OF. THE THINGS THAT KEEPS GOING. THROUGH MY MIND. THIS CONVERSATION WE'RE HAVING. WITH YOU RIGHT NOW COULD HAVE. BEEN A VERY DIFFERENT ONE AND. IT'S PRETTY REMARKABLE. I HOPE WE GET TO TALK TO THE. PEOPLE THAT ACTUALLY LANDED THE. PLANE BECAUSE ALL OF THIS HAD TO. HAVE HAPPENED SO QUICKLY AND AS. THE PLANE IS DROPPING, THEY END. UP IN THE COCKPIT AND ABLE TO.

LAND THE PLANE SAFELY. THAT'S REMARKABLE, JEFF. >> WE'VE EVEN SOME SOME IMAGES. WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO CONFIRM. IT, IT APPEARS THE TAIL WING ON. THE PLANE WAS DAMAGED JUST FROM. HOW FAST AND HOW SHARP IT. NOSE-DIVED. YOU THINK ABOUT ALL THOSE. EXTERNAL FACTORS. ONE THING I WANT TO POINT OUT. I HAVE BEEN NOT THIS EXACT. FLIGHT TIME BUT I'VE FLOWN FLY. DUBAI FROM DUBAI TO TEL AVIV AND. THERE IS A LOT OF SECURITY.

INVOLVED IN THIS ESPECIALLY. AMONG THE PASSENGERS. WHAT MAKES THIS UNIQUE IT SOUNDS. LIKE THIS INVOLVES A PILOT. THAT IS THE OUTLIER IN THIS. A LOT OF ATTENTION WHO BOARDS. THESE PLANES, WHO IS FLYING TO. AND WHERE BUT THE PILOT IN THIS. CASE THAT WILL NEED A FEW EXTRA. LOOKS ON THIS THAT MAKES THIS. SITUATION A VERY UNIQUE ONE. >> Bill: I KNOW IT'S EARLY BUT. LET'S TALK ABOUT THE. INVESTIGATION. WE WERE SPEAKING WITH DAN. HOFFMAN 30 MINUTES AGO. THE MIDDLE EAST IS A DIFFERENT.

PLACE NOW. THE IRAN WAR NOTWITHSTANDING, THE WITHDRAWAL OF MILITARY. TROOPS OUT OF IRAQ OFFICIALLY. OVERNIGHT LAST NIGHT. WE SAW THE VIDEO OF THIS IRANIAN. MILITIA GROUP IN IRAQ LOOKED. LIKE A SIGNIFICANT CEREMONY. IT WAS AGREED UPON TWO YEARS. AFTER 12 YEARS IN THE COUNTRY. AMERICAN FORCES ARE NOW. OFFICIALLY OUT. NOW YOU HAVE THE ABRAHAM. ACCORDS, WHICH IS DESIGNED TO. FORCE THESE GOVERNMENTS UPON.

THEIR AGREEMENT TO WORK WITH ONE. ANOTHER. SO WHETHER IT'S THE UAE OR. SAUDIS OR ISRAELIS WE WOULD. EXPECT OR ANTICIPATE THESE. THINGS GOVERNMENTS TO COOPERATE. HOW IS THAT GOING TO WORK? >> I THINK IT'S SIGNIFICANANT T. POINT OUT THIS PLANE DID LAND. SAFELY IN SAUDI ARABIA. SO IT DOES SHOW THERE IS SOME. COOPERATION AMONGST REGIONAL. PARTNERS IN THIS AREA. SAUDI ARABIA IS NOT PART OF THE. ABRAHAM ACCORDS. PRESIDENT TRUMP WOULD LIKE FOR.

THEM TO BE A PART OF THE ABRAHAM. ACCORDS. UAE IS SINCE 2020. I THINK SOME OF THESE THINGS. NEED TO BE LOOKED AT. THERE WAS SOME COOPERATION. IN TERMS OF MOVING FORWARD WITH. THIS INVESTIGATION, A LOT OF. THAT WILL HINGE ON WHAT WAS THE. INTENT. WHAT WAS THE OVERALL GOAL? AND THERE WILL BE RECORDINGS OF. WHAT WAS GOING ON AND WHAT WAS. BEING SAID BEFORE THE FIGHT, DURING THE FIGHT, AFTER THE. FIGHT. SO MUCH MORE INFORMATION. HOPEFULLY WE CAN GATHER BY THE. END OF THE DAY TODAY. >> Bill: ALL WE CAN DO IS GO ON.

THE WORDS WE HAVE SO FAR. NETANYAHU SAID QUOTE, THEY TRIED. TO CRASH THE PLANE AND THAT'S. OUR UNDERSTANDING AT THE MOMENT. WHAT THE INTENT WAS, WE DON'T. KNOW. BUT WE'RE AT THE BEGINNING. PHASES OF THIS. >> Dana: JEFF PAUL, THANK YOU SO. MUCH. WE'LL TRY TO GET AS MUCH MORE AS. WE CAN. HERE IS WHAT WE KNOW. WE WILL BE ABLE TO GET A LOT. MORE INFORMATION ONCE THE PEOPLE. ON THE PLANE ARE BACK SAFELY TO. THEIR ORIGINAL DESTINATION IN. ISRAEL AND ABLE TO TALK TO US.

MORE. >> Bill: THE TWO PILOTS WEREN'T. AIR MARSHALS. THEY PERHAPS WORK FOR THE. AIRLINE AND JUST, I MEAN, WHAT A. STROKE OF LUCK. >> Dana: INCREDIBLE. >> Bill: 150 PEOPLE ON BOARD. >> Dana: TO BE MOVING TOWARD THE. COCKPIT AS IT IS DESCENDING. 17,000 FEET IN LESS THAN A. MINU.