Passenger saves plunging Flydubai flight after watching TV show

A Flydubai passenger saved 174 lives on a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv after a mid-air attack caused the plane to plummet 17,000 feet. The co-pilot allegedly stabbed Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar and tried to crash the aircraft before the injured captain managed to open the cockpit access door.

The Rescue

Passenger Yaniv Hayoun rushed into the cockpit and found no pilots in their seats, with one on the floor and the attacker on the instrument panel trying to destroy the controls. Yaniv grabbed the attacker in a chokehold and dragged him out with the help of two other Israeli passengers who pinned the man down. Yaniv then grabbed the flight controls and pulled back the handles to level out the aircraft, later telling Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that watching the television show Air Crash Investigation helped him know what to do. Captain Machchhar then took over the controls, and the flight made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia.

Investigation Details

Israeli officials identified the alleged attacker as an Omani national, though his identity has not been publicly disclosed. Captain Machchhar received praise for his quick thinking and actions despite being severely injured during the incident.

Context

Air Crash Investigation, also known as Mayday: Air Disaster, is a long-running Canadian documentary series that has aired hundreds of episodes since 2003 examining aviation accidents. Such mid-air cockpit altercations are extremely rare in modern commercial aviation, which relies on strict security protocols and multi-layered flight deck access rules. Passenger intervention in aviation emergencies remains an exceptional circumstance outside standard flight safety procedures.