Flydubai Flight Conspiracy Claims Circulate After Pilot Questions Dramatic 700mph Descent Figures

Conspiracy claims about Flydubai Flight FZ1073 have circulated on Facebook after Canadian pilot Aaron Murphy questioned whether initial reports accurately captured the aircraft's descent on 30 September 2026.

Flightradar24 tracking data showed that the Boeing 737 lost more than 16,000 feet (4,877 metres/4.9km) in 35 seconds, while its reported speed rose from about 460mph (740km/h) to nearly 700mph (1,127km/h). Murphy said the figures could change when investigators obtain recorded flight data.

What Happened on Flydubai Flight FZ1073?

Israeli officials said the Dubai-to-Tel Aviv flight's co-pilot attacked and stabbed the captain and apparently attempted to crash the aircraft. Passengers and off-duty Flydubai pilots intervened after the injured captain opened the cockpit door. The aircraft was diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, where a second Flydubai crew already aboard landed the plane safely.

Reuters reported that the plane descended more than 14,000 feet (4,267 metres/4.3km) in about 30 seconds. A passenger told CNN the aircraft suddenly dropped and appeared to spin, with people screaming and children crying.

Why the 700MPH Flydubai Figure Is Being Questioned

CNN said tracking data showed the aircraft's speed increasing from about 460mph (740km/h) to nearly 700mph (1,127km/h), close to the speed of sound. CNN also reported a loss of more than 16,000 feet (4,877 metres/4.9km) in 35 seconds.

During a simulation, Murphy pointed to the aircraft's overspeed warning.

'Some of the numbers that we're seeing from the reporting initially ... don't make sense to me,' Murphy said.

Murphy questioned whether the initial tracking-derived figures accurately represented what happened to the aircraft. He did not claim the incident itself was fabricated. The 700mph (1,127km/h) figure is a tracking-derived estimate, not a confirmed flight-recorder measurement or vertical descent rate.

What the CNN Simulation Showed

Murphy said the warning was an overspeed warning, not a stall warning.

CNN reported that part of the rudder had broken away and said the reported extreme speed could explain the damage. Murphy said the initial figures could change after the preliminary report.

'The numbers will change when we get the preliminary report,' he said.

CNN said the flight-data recorder captures substantially more information than public flight tracking.

How the CNN Clip Fuelled Conspiracy Claims

Some Facebook posts used Murphy's doubts about the figures to suggest the wider incident had been fabricated. One Reel was captioned 'They just got exposed by one of their own,' while another said, 'This is Hollywood on steroids.'

Comments questioned the rapid descent and how the injured captain could regain access to the cockpit, with some users describing the incident as a false flag or staged event. Reuters reported that the captain was able to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers and crew to intervene.

Murphy did not say the flight was staged. He described the aircraft's survival as 'so fortunate and so unbelievable that it might just be a Hollywood production,' before adding: 'You can't believe that it actually happens in real life. But it did.'

What Investigators Still Need To Establish

The flight-data recorder and cockpit voice recorder will be central to establishing what happened aboard the aircraft, including its recorded flight parameters and cockpit activity. CNN said those recorders will provide more information than public tracking data. Reuters reported that authorities are investigating.

The evidence establishes a serious cockpit incident, rapid descent and aircraft damage. Claims circulating on social media that the event was staged remain unsubstantiated by the evidence cited in current reporting.

Until investigators examine the flight-data recorder, the reported 700mph (1,127km/h) figure remains a tracking-based estimate rather than a definitive flight-recorder measurement of the aircraft's speed.