On Wednesday (September 30th), a plane flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv plummeted nearly 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds. Fortunately, a plumber, relying on his impression from the TV show “Mayday”, pulled the control device back to assist the plane in gradually regaining its level flight.
This was a real incident that occurred on flydubai Flight FZ1073 recently. At that time, screams and struggling sounds were suddenly heard from the cockpit as the aircraft rapidly descended. Several passengers rushed forward, broke into the cockpit, and subdued the co-pilot who had stabbed the captain.
Ultimately, the plane made a safe landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, with all 174 people on board surviving.
Yaniv Hayun, a plumber, was one of the three Israeli passengers who stormed into the cockpit. He recalled that the injured captain was lying near the cockpit door, making it difficult for others to enter.
Hayun said, “When I went in, I saw the terrorist in front of the controls, situated between two seats. There was no one in either of the pilot seats.”
He quickly grabbed the individual and subdued him in a chokehold, then dragged him out of the cockpit.
Hayun mentioned that the co-pilot was trying to disable the controls to render the aircraft non-functional. He instructed other passengers to help restrain the co-pilot while he himself returned to the cockpit when the plane was still significantly tilted.
“I then jumped back in, grabbed the controls, and started pulling back,” Hayun said, knowing what to do because “I’ve watched ‘Mayday’.”
“Once the plane began to level out slightly, another pilot took over,” he added.
After the incident, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu met with Hayun at Tel Aviv airport. In a video released by the Prime Minister’s office, Netanyahu embraced the passenger, praising his actions in the emergency situation.
“I saw you, like seeing a lion. You are a great hero. What you did is incredible. You not only saved all the passengers on board but many others as well,” the Prime Minister said.
During the intense descent, the aircraft also sustained severe damage. Aviation experts cited by The Guardian stated that the plane endured strong aerodynamic forces during the rapid descent, with most of the rudder even being torn off. Experts were surprised that the aircraft did not disintegrate and could still land safely.
Another passenger, Tzvika Manes, mentioned that his wife was accompanying their young daughter to the front lavatory when they suddenly heard shouts and scuffles from the cockpit. Subsequently, the cockpit door opened, the injured pilot fell out, and the plane began a steep nosedive, tossing passengers around.
Manes first pulled his daughter out of the lavatory and then rushed to assist in subduing the co-pilot, along with Hayun and another passenger, Asaf Rajuan.
Manes said that it took about 20 to 25 minutes for the three of them to fully subdue the co-pilot and bind him with a headset cable.
He recalled that during the nosedive, his daughters were screaming, “We don’t want to die.” Manes said, “This is unbearable pain for any father.”
Rajuan, in a later interview, stated, “In such situations, you don’t think much, you just run to save your daughter’s life, save your family’s life.”
Dentist Shota Musaev on board also rushed to the cockpit upon hearing screams. He recounted to CNN that when he arrived at the cockpit, he saw the assailant pinning the captain down and stabbing him with a knife, prompting him to rescue the injured pilot as he feared the captain might die.
Musaev mentioned that the captain suffered severe cuts to his head and hands, lost a lot of blood, and had a sharp drop in blood pressure, momentarily losing consciousness.
“I believe if we had waited a little longer, we would have lost him,” Musaev said.
Musaev not only stopped the captain’s bleeding and stabilized his blood pressure but also helped subdue the co-pilot, using a headset cable and plastic ties to bind him.
After the passengers gained control, two Dubai airline pilots who were originally scheduled to fly the next flight took over the aircraft controls, eventually landing safely in Tabuk.
Indian media reported that the stabbed Indian captain, Smit Machchhar, had undergone surgery in Saudi Arabia, and officials stated that his condition is stable.
The motive of the co-pilot is still under investigation. The General Civil Aviation Authority of the UAE mentioned that the investigation team is clarifying the reasons and occurrences of the incidents, including operational and security aspects. They urged not to spread unconfirmed information and not to preempt the investigation results.