Featured Image Credit: IAA/Getty/murat4art
Topics: Technology
Chelsea Connor
A pilot chose to postpone a flight after passengers received an unnerving picture on their phones.
The move came after passengers received pictures of a crashed plane on their phones, moments before a flight from Israel to Turkey was set to depart in 2022.
Israeli publication Kan News shared how a series of plane crash images were sent to the unsuspecting passengers, but nobody knew who was sending them.
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One passenger who was aboard the flight when it was aborted told the outlet: "We got on the flight and the plane started moving.
"Most people received a request for a photo confirmation in AirDrop, some approved and some did not."
They continued: "The plane stopped and the flight attendants asked who got the pictures.”
The flight was quickly aborted and made it's way back to Israel Airport before police swarmed the plane - and a passenger was escorted off the flight.
A passenger said: "The airport manager told us there was a security incident.
"They took all our luggage out of the plane for a second check."
Local radio broadcaster Galei Zahal reported that 166 passengers received the worrying images.
After the flight crew were alerted to the images, the flight was turned around so that the incident could be investigated.
The images included two wreckages, one of which was of a Turkish Airline plane that crashed in Amsterdam in 2009 and led to the deaths of nine passengers.
A second showed the 2013 wreckage of the Asiana Airlines Flight 214 that crashed in San Francisco, killing three.
Investigators have said that although they're still looking into who sent the images, a cyberattack was also suspected.
Airports Authority spokesman Ofer Lefler said: "This is not a cyber attack. The source of the videos is inside the plane.
“All passengers and luggage are being further examined, and the police and other security officials have opened an investigation.”
Airport security are now looking into the matter, and have confirmed that the flight will be allowed to continue once they’ve confirmed there is no risk to the plane and those onboard.
Lefler went on to tell Kan News: "All steps taken are in cooperation and coordination with the flight captain who has shown great responsibility in the decision to return the aircraft to the terminal."
UNILAD has contacted the Israel Airports Authority for further comment.