Three Israeli passengers are to receive presidential awards for civilian heroism after helping stop an alleged attempt to crash a flydubai flight travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv.
The men, Yaniv Hayoun, Tzvika Manes and Asaf Rajuan, forced their way into the cockpit during the mid-air emergency and subdued the co-pilot, according to Israeli officials. Dr Shota Musayev, a fellow passenger who treated the injured captain, will also be honoured.
All 174 people aboard flight FZ1073 survived after the Boeing 737 MAX plunged about 4,300 metres in less than 30 seconds. The aircraft was diverted to Saudi Arabia, where it made an emergency landing in Tabuk.
The captain, Indian national Smit Machchhar, was reportedly stabbed before unlocking the cockpit door. Witnesses said the co-pilot then tried to strike the controls as the aircraft entered a steep dive.
Two off-duty pilots travelling as passengers took control of the aircraft after the co-pilot was overpowered. The passengers later continued their journey to Israel on another flydubai flight and were greeted by cheering crowds at Ben Gurion International Airport.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog praised the passengers’ “swift action” and announced the awards. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met those on board after they arrived and was told that one pilot had stabbed the other and appeared to have tried to bring down the plane.
“They saved many lives and averted a terrible disaster,” Mr Netanyahu said. He added that the pilot who carried out the stabbing had been arrested and was being questioned by Saudi authorities.
Israel’s defence minister, Israel Katz, described the incident as an attempted “jihadist terrorist attack”, saying the aircraft had been saved only because passengers entered the cockpit and restored control to another flight crew.
However, the co-pilot’s motives remain under investigation and no formal finding has been made that he was a terrorist or was acting with others. Some Israeli media reports described him as a suspected lone-wolf attacker, while witnesses reportedly identified him as an Omani national.
Passengers describe flydubai flight emergency
The emergency began more than two hours after the aircraft left Dubai. It first transmitted an international emergency signal before switching to a code used to indicate hijacking or unlawful interference.
One passenger told Israeli media: “We heard screams on the plane. Then they opened the cockpit and we saw blood, and someone had stabbed the pilot with a pocketknife.”
Another passenger said the aircraft began spinning and diving after a struggle in the cockpit. “It felt like, that’s it. It’s over. September 11 is happening again,” he said.
Doron Spielman, a spokesman for the Israeli prime minister’s office, said the injured captain had used “the last moments of his energy” to release the cockpit door while lying bloodied on the floor.
Mr Netanyahu later said Captain Machchhar had “fought back, resisted, opened the cockpit door, and enabled passengers and crew to overpower the attacker”. He said the captain had saved the lives of 174 people.
Israeli airspace was briefly closed during the incident and the government held urgent consultations as the emergency continued. One 51-year-old male passenger was taken to hospital with a mild upper-body injury after reaching Tel Aviv.
