Heroic Intervention Aboard Flydubai Flight

An Israeli passenger played a crucial role in overpowering a co-pilot who was allegedly trying to crash a Flydubai flight headed for Tel Aviv. This remarkable act of bravery was later recognized by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Yaniv Hayun, who was among the 174 passengers, returned to Israel safely on Wednesday evening after being transported on a replacement flight. He exited the aircraft at Ben-Gurion Airport still wearing his white shirt, now marked with blood from the confrontation onboard Flight FZ1073.

Israeli officials reported that the Omani co-pilot stabbed the captain and seemed to attempt a crash before Hayun and several fellow passengers forcibly entered the cockpit.

“I grabbed the attacker, put him in a chokehold, and pulled him out,” Hayun recounted, as reported by Israeli media. “I called the other Israelis with us, jumped back in, and took control. I started pulling them back,” he explained. Hayun, who has a background in aviation, was one of at least four Israeli passengers who acted during a terrifying moment when the Boeing 737 unexpectedly descended over 14,000 feet in less than half a minute.

Upon entering the cockpit, Hayun noted that the captain was on the floor, unable to operate, while neither pilot was in their seat and the suspect was at the controls. “When I walked in, I saw the attacker on the instruments, between the two seats,” he explained to Netanyahu. “There were no pilots in their seats.”

When asked what the attacker was doing, Hayun responded, “He was trying to destroy the instruments to… neutralize the aircraft,” mentioning he believed the goal was to crash the plane.

Hayun managed to drag the attacker out with the help of fellow passengers. Though the aircraft was still descending, he quickly returned to the cockpit. “I jumped back to the control, pulled the yoke,” he recalled, taking a hands-on approach to regain control.

It turned out there were two other pilots traveling as passengers, and one of them was able to take charge after Hayun momentarily steadied the aircraft.

“Yes, I pulled the controls,” Hayun confirmed when Netanyahu probed further. “You see it on Mayday, Mr. Prime Minister,” he joked when asked if he knew to pull back on the controls. With a bit of luck, the plane began to level out before the pilot announced he would take over.

Hayun believed the captain successfully unlocked the cockpit door before collapsing, which enabled the passengers to intervene. “My conclusion,” he told Netanyahu, “is that the captain managed to open it before he collapsed.”

Other passengers shared the fear they experienced as the plane went into a dive and spun uncontrollably. One passenger described the overwhelming sensation as if they were reliving a disaster, saying, “It felt like that’s it. It’s over. September 11 is happening again.”

Those who rushed to help were hailed as heroes. One passenger praised the bravery of his fellow travelers, stating, “Three or four people saved 180 lives.” Another, a dentist named Musaev Shota, participated in restraining the attacker and provided first aid to the severely injured captain.

Video footage captured the unsettling aftermath of the incident, with a passenger desperately informing authorities, “We’re here during the hijacking of an airplane. At this point we’ve subdued the terrorists, and we need help.”

Eventually, the aircraft landed at Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia, where the suspected attacker was arrested. Passengers remained on the ground for several hours, then boarded a replacement Flydubai flight back home.

Upon their arrival at Ben-Gurion Airport, Israeli fighter jets escorted the plane. Officials stated the incident was initiated by the co-pilot’s attack on the captain, leading Defense Minister Israel Katz to categorize it as an “attempted jihadist terrorist attack.”

Flydubai acknowledged that an “altercation” occurred on the flight deck and confirmed that its crew secured the situation. However, the motive and full details are still under investigation.

As Netanyahu welcomed Hayun and the other passengers back, he expressed disbelief at their actions, stating, “It’s simply unbelievable what you did. You saved everyone on the plane. You don’t know what could have happened.”

The entire ordeal lasted over two hours after the flight departed from Dubai, culminating in emergency alerts and the rapid response of Israeli military and political leadership. Netanyahu mentioned that the suspected attacker remains in custody and ordered security agencies to be on alert for any potential follow-up threats stemming from the incident.

In the end, all 174 passengers, including 27 children, returned to Israel unharmed after the harrowing experience.