Israeli Passenger Credits Air Crash TV Series for Helping Steady Diving flydubai Jet

Passengers subdued co-pilot who allegedly stabbed captain on Dubai–Tel Aviv flight; President Herzog nominates civilians for heroism award

Tel Aviv: An Israeli passenger who helped bring a plunging airliner back under control has said that what he knew about stabilising an aircraft came from watching a television documentary series about air disasters. The flight was carrying more than 170 people to Tel Aviv when it went into a nosedive.

Yaniv Hayun, 50, has been widely praised in Israel after he and three fellow Israeli passengers overpowered the co-pilot of flydubai flight FZ1073, who had stabbed the aircraft’s captain. Hayun then pulled back on the jet’s controls to level it. A second flight crew travelling on board then helped bring the plane down safely in Saudi Arabia. Witnesses said the aircraft dropped roughly 17,000 feet in less than a minute during the attack.

Hayun said he and several others restrained the co-pilot before he went back to take hold of the steering control, which had been left unmanned. After he pulled the controls, the aircraft began to level out, and a pilot then told him he would take over from that point. Other passengers identified that pilot as a British man named James.

Recounting the events to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Hayun described placing the attacker in a chokehold and pulling him out of the cockpit before returning to the controls. When asked how he knew what to do, he replied: “I watch Air Crash Investigation, Mr Prime Minister.” According to his brother-in-law, Hayun, who runs a sewage pumping company, was travelling with his wife and two daughters.

The flight’s Indian captain has also been praised for using his remaining strength to unlock the cockpit door, allowing the passengers to reach and subdue the knife-wielding co-pilot. Netanyahu said Saudi authorities were questioning the suspect and that Israel believes he was attempting to crash the aircraft. flydubai has announced a suspension of its Israel flights while the incident is investigated.

On Thursday, Israeli President Isaac Herzog announced that he would nominate Hayun for the Presidential Award for Civilian Heroism. Others nominated include a woman named Tali, who first alerted passengers to the violence in the cockpit; Shota Musaev, a doctor who treated the injured captain; and Asaf Rajuan, who helped Musaev restrain the co-pilot.