A passenger on FlyDubai Flight 1073 helped stabilise the aircraft after the co-pilot allegedly stabbed the captain, saying he knew what to do from watching the aviation disaster series “Mayday”.
Yaniv Hayun told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he ran towards the cockpit as the aircraft plunged sharply during its flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv.
Flight-tracking data indicated that the plane fell more than 17,000ft in two minutes. The captain, an Indian national, reportedly fought off the co-pilot and opened the cockpit door, allowing passengers and crew to restrain the alleged attacker.
Hayun said he then began pulling back on the aircraft’s controls. “I watch ‘Air Crash Investigation’, Mr. Prime Minister,” he told Netanyahu, according to the account of their meeting at the airport.
“The plane started to level out a little,” Hayun said. Another pilot on board subsequently took control, with two off-duty pilots helping to fly the aircraft to an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
Netanyahu praised Hayun as a hero, telling him: “This is the honour. You are the honour. You are the hero.”
No passenger was seriously injured. The captain suffered stab wounds, while Saudi authorities said two crew members were taken to hospital with unspecified injuries. The co-pilot remained in custody, and his motive was not known.
Passenger’s actions linked to aviation safety series
Alex Bystram, the executive producer of “Mayday”, said he had been discussing a future episode with colleagues when he learned that one of the programme’s viewers had been aboard the flight.
“If, incidentally, someone picked up a tip about something they saw in the cockpit and it worked and it had the right effect, then that’s a fantastic byproduct,” Bystram said.
The Canadian series, also known as “Air Crash Investigation”, examines major air disasters based on real reports and has been running for more than two decades, producing more than 200 episodes.
Bystram said the programme’s cockpit sequences were created with guidance from commercial pilots who fly the aircraft types being portrayed. They advise actors on how to handle the controls, including what to touch and what to leave alone.
“So, I’m not surprised that he got some accurate information based on watching the show,” Bystram said.
He said a future episode about the FlyDubai incident would be considered only if it offered a clear aviation safety lesson. “We’re not just going to do it because it’s salacious or dramatic,” he said. “It has to have a good, solid lesson or a good, solid impact on aviation safety.”
