On September 30, 2026, a Flydubai airplane was at risk of a devastating crash when the heroics of a few helped save the lives of the 174 passengers onboard, as well as that of the pilot.
The Boeing 737 departed Dubai International Airport at 6:50 a.m. for Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv and was cruising at roughly 34,000 feet when something went terribly wrong in the cockpit.
Highlights
- The co-pilot on a Flydubai Boeing headed to Israel attacked the pilot in an alleged attempt at hijacking the plane.
- Some passengers stepped in as the pilot lay on the floor bleeding and helped rescue him and successfully land the flight.
- The rescuers were hailed as "heroes" as world leaders showered praise for their bravery.
According to reports, the co-pilot used a knife to attack the pilot, an Indian national named Smit Machchhar from Mumbai, and tried to take control of the flight.
Thankfully, several passengers, who are now being hailed as “heroes,” tackled the attacker and helped make an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
“One pilot stabbed the other and tried to do a 9/11,” one official told the media about the incident, which saw Israel scramble fighter jets fearing a hijack.
A 50-year-old Israeli business owner saved the passengers from plummeting to their demise
After the unexpected attack, Capt. Machchhar fell off his seat and was lying on the floor bleeding out, having lost control of the flight. The airplane plummeted about 14,000-18,000 feet in a matter of seconds, terrorizing the passengers.
“We were either going to crash or be m**dered,” one said about the experience. Another said that they assumed they were under attack from a terror cell.
Despite being heavily injured, Capt. Machchhar managed to open the cockpit door, allowing other passengers and crew members to enter and overpower the attacker.
Yaniv Hayun, 50, who owns a sewage pumping company and was traveling with his wife and two daughters, was among those who helped subdue the co-pilot.
“We knew there was an attack because a woman screamed ‘stabbing’ and the plane shook,” he told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after landing in Saudi Arabia, according to a video distributed by his office.
"At that moment, I ran to the cockpit, and the plane dived,” he shared. “One (pilot) was down, and one was on the controls, and another person came in with me. I grabbed the assailant and put him in a chokehold, and pulled him out,” he said.
After the attacker was taken care of, Hayun returned to man the controls of the flight, which was still falling. When asked how he knew what to do, he said, “I watch Air Crash Investigation, Mr. Prime Minister.”
Hayun added that an off-duty pilot, a British man named James, helped him while traveling as a passenger.
Almog Itali, another passenger, said the plane was carrying two off-duty British pilots who were meant to fly the next flight, while other reports claimed they were from New Zealand or South Africa.
World leaders lauded the “heroes” who risked their lives to protect others
Tzvika Manes, an Israeli bank executive, helped Hayun tie up the co-pilot using airline earphones. His wife, Tali, was the first to alert everyone of the violence in the cockpit.
Shota Musaev, a dentist, treated the wounded captain with first aid after helping to incapacitate the attacker, while Asaf Rajuan, an insurance agency owner, helped.
“I’m not a hero,” Rajuan said at the Saudi Arabia airport.
“It’s something you do without thinking, running to save your daughter’s life, your family’s life, your wife, and all the staff and people on the plane. You don’t think. You just act.”
Huyan, Manes, Tali, Musaev, and Rajuan have all been nominated for the Presidential Award for Civilian Heroism by Israeli President Isaac Herzog.
While the accused co-pilot has not been publicly identified, reports say he is believed to be an Omani national who worked at FlyDubai for less than a year.
Netanyahu said the suspect “underwent Islamist radical indoctrination,” while US President Donald Trump suggested that he may have links to Iran, with which America is involved in a combat conflict.
Netanyahu said the situation is under control, with officials working to put passengers on alternative flights.
He described the flight rescue as “a chain of miracles with divine assistance” during a Torah study session on Thursday.
The doctor on board said he feared for the captain’s life after finding him “sliced open” in the cockpit
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi lauded Capt. Machchhar, who is being treated in a Saudi Arabian hospital, as a hero for saving lives with his split-second decision.
“In the face of the gravest danger and despite being seriously injured, he showed immense courage and an unwavering resolve to protect the lives of others. His valor helped save hundreds of lives and avert a great tragedy,” Modi wrote on social media.
“Despite being stabbed and seriously injured, he fought back, resisted, opened the cockpit door, and enabled passengers and crew to overpower the attacker,” Netanyahu chimed in.
Dr. Musaev told CNN that when he reached the cockpit, he found the attacker on top of the pilot, repeatedly stabbing him, and he felt “terrified” for Capt. Machchhar’s life.
“He was covered in cuts—his head, his hands—they were practically sliced open, almost severed in two… He had lost a lot of blood and was in bad shape,” he went on.
“I think that if we had waited even a few more moments, we would have lost him. His blood pressure had plummeted, he suddenly lost consciousness, and there was blood everywhere.”
Other passengers also shared horrific details of the incident. Many remember seeing fellow passengers with wounds and their clothes drenched in blood.
“From what I understand, the pilot tried to k**l himself with us,” one passenger named Uri told Saudi Arabian media.
“Our teams are working closely with the relevant authorities,” Flydubai said in a statement. “Further updates will be issued as additional confirmed details become available.”
"These are all heroes," one social media user said
