Heroic Intervention on Flydubai Flight

An Israeli passenger played a crucial role in subduing a co-pilot who allegedly attempted to crash a Flydubai jetbound for Tel Aviv. Yaniv Hayun, who managed to control the situation, was later praised by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for his courageous actions.

Hayun, along with the other 173 passengers, safely returned to Israel on Wednesday evening. He arrived at Ben-Gurion Airport wearing a white shirt marked with blood from the chaotic events onboard Flydubai Flight FZ1073.

Reports indicate that the Omani co-pilot stabbed the captain and seemingly aimed to bring the aircraft down before Hayun and other passengers intervened in the cockpit.

“I grabbed the attacker, put him in a chokehold, and pulled him out,” Hayun recounted to Israeli media outlet Ynet. “I called the Israelis with us, jumped back in, and took the controls. I started pulling them back.”

With a background in aviation, Hayun was one of at least four Israeli passengers who took action as the Boeing 737 plummeted more than 14,000 feet in under 30 seconds.

He described forcing his way into the cockpit, where the captain lay injured. He noted that neither pilot was seated, and the co-pilot was at the controls.

“When I walked in, I saw the attacker on the instruments, between the two seats,” Hayun told Netanyahu. “There were no pilots in the seats.”

In response to Netanyahu’s inquiry about the assailant’s actions, Hayun replied, “He was trying to destroy the instruments to… neutralize the aircraft,” believing the goal was to crash the plane.

After dragging the attacker out of the cockpit, Hayun called other passengers to help restrain him and rushed back to take control of the aircraft.

“I jumped back to the control, pulled the yoke,” Hayun remember. “I started pulling the yoke.”

He mentioned that two other pilots were on board as passengers, and one was able to take over after Hayun briefly regained control.

“You pulled the controls?” Netanyahu asked, to which Hayun confirmed, adding humorously, “You see it on Mayday, Mr. Prime Minister.”

He noted that once he started to pull back, the plane began to level out. Shortly after, the pilot informed him he would take over control.

Hayun suspects that the wounded captain managed to unlock the cockpit door before collapsing, thus allowing passengers to enter.

“My conclusion,” he told Netanyahu, was that the captain had somehow managed to open it “before he collapsed.”

Witnesses described the fear that enveloped the cabin as the aircraft spiraled and dove uncontrollably.

One passenger, identified as Daniel, recalled, “The spinning stopped. It felt like, that’s it. It’s over. September 11 is happening again.” He referred to the Israelis who charged the cockpit as “real heroes.”

Another passenger, Adam, succinctly stated, “Three or four people saved 180 lives.”

Israeli dentist Musaev Shota was among those who assisted in restraining the attacker before tending to the injured captain, as reported by Ynet.

Video footage captured the aftermath onboard the aircraft, with one bloodied passenger making a desperate appeal for help as they prepared for an emergency landing.

“We’re here during the hijacking of an airplane. We’ve subdued the terrorists, we’re approaching landing,” he said. “Whoever is hearing me, we need help.”

The aircraft landed safely at Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia, where the suspect was taken into custody for questioning. The passengers remained at the airport for several hours before boarding a replacement Flydubai flight.

That flight reached Ben-Gurion Airport safely, bringing all passengers home after the ordeal. Israeli fighter jets accompanied the aircraft upon entering Israeli airspace.

Officials stated the incident commenced with the co-pilot’s attack on the captain and described it as a possible “attempted jihadist terrorist attack,” suggesting the attacker aimed “to crash the plane with all its passengers.”

Flydubai acknowledged an “altercation” on the flight deck and stated its crew managed to secure the aircraft, but cautioned that the reasons behind the incident remain under investigation.

Netanyahu praised the passengers at Ben-Gurion, embracing Hayun after his return and expressed disbelief at his bravery. “You didn’t just save everyone on the plane… We don’t know what could have happened,” he told him, later calling Hayun a hero.

This homecoming marked the end of a harrowing experience that began more than two hours after Flight FZ1073 left Dubai, prompting emergency alerts and swift actions from Israel’s defense forces and political leaders.

Netanyahu confirmed that the suspected attacker is in Saudi custody and has instructed security agencies to be prepared for any potential threats that may arise following the incident.

In the end, all 174 passengers, including 27 children, returned safely to Israel.