A flight was forced to abandon its takeoff from Israel’s main airport after a number of passengers received graphic photos of plane crashes.

The aircraft from Turkey's AnadoluJet airline with 160 passengers on board was taxiing at Ben Gurion Airport when the incident happened, and the captain made the decision to return to the gate.

Nine Israeli citizens were arrested on suspicion of making a terrorist threat, airport authorities said.

The photos are believed to have been sent via AirDrop, a service available on Apple devices that enables users to send files from one to another across short distances. Photos sent on AirDrop can show up a preview on iPhones without the owner's consent.

The photos were all received on iPhones, the Ynet news site reports.

turkish airlines crash 2013

One of the graphic crash photos sent to passengers, after which the captain decided to return to the gate

Israeli Police said in a statement that the suspects were questioned by officers after being removed from the flight, adding: “The nine ... are suspected of broadcasting images of an air disaster on the plane, causing panic and delaying the plane’s departure by several hours."

The photos reportedly included images of a plane crash in the US in 2013, as well as a Turkish Airlines plane that crashed in the Netherlands in 2009.

The plane was thoroughly searched before later departing again for Istanbul, but passengers were also given the option of staying in Israel and not departing on the same plane.

This incident comes just two weeks after the departures area of Ben Gurion Airport was evacuated after an American family presented an artillery shell to security personnel that they wanted to take home as a souvenir.

One person was taken to the hospital after tripping over a baggage conveyer belt during the chaotic evacuation.