Flydubai Passenger Describes Subduing Attacker After Cockpit Stabbing
British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) reports on a dramatic incident aboard a Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv. Passengers recount their experience of putting an attacker in a chokehold after he stabbed one of the pilots and attempted to disable the plane.
Yaroslav Lukiv shares details of the event, where the plane abruptly dropped, causing panic among passengers. Yaniv Hayun, dressed in a bloodstained shirt, described the moment to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The plane descended 17,000 feet (5,200 meters) in just two minutes.
Hayun explained that upon entering the cockpit, he found one pilot injured and the attacker on the instruments, attempting to disable the aircraft. He swiftly grabbed the attacker, applying a chokehold, and escorted him out of the cockpit.
"We pulled [the attacker] out; it was a matter of seconds," Hayun stated. "I called out to the Israeli guys... two other guys came over to help." Together, they secured the attacker while Hayun resumed control of the plane's controls.
Zvika Meness further elaborates on the group's efforts, describing how they tied up the attacker using his own zip ties and headphones. Eventually, another pilot took over from a colleague who had joined the cockpit from the passenger cabin.
The Flydubai flight made an emergency landing at Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia, and passengers were later repatriated to Tel Aviv on another aircraft, greeted by enthusiastic crowds upon their return.