A flight between Dubai and Tel Aviv dropped 17,000 feet, then sent a hijack warning. Here's what we know.

A FlyDubai Boeing 737 Max 8. GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP via Getty Images A flyDubai jet flying between Dubai and Tel Aviv was forced to divert mid-flight. The plane dropped by around 17,000 feet in just over two minutes, flight-tracking data shows. Exactly what happened is unclear, though the plane sent a distress signal indicating a possible hijack attempt. A flight to Tel Aviv was forced to divert on Wednesday morning after suddenly dropping more than 15,000 feet. FlyDubai Flight 1073 took off from Dubai just after 7 a.m. local time and was scheduled to land at Israel's Ben Gurion Airport about three hours later. Around two hours into the flight, the Boeing 737 Max dropped sharply from its cruising altitude of 34,000 feet, descending to roughly 17,000 feet above sea level. 10 minutes later, the airplane squawked 7700, an internationally recognized code for general emergencies during flights.