Israeli Passenger Recounts Daring Mid-Air Hijacking Foiled on Flydubai Flight

An Israeli businessman, Zvika Mans, has recounted the harrowing experience of subduing a co-pilot who allegedly attempted to crash a Flydubai flight en route to Israel. Mans, CEO of Leumi Underwriting, described the incident as a "horror movie" that began about an hour before landing.

According to Mans, the co-pilot stabbed the pilot, and passengers, including himself, intervened. "We pulled him out with two other guys who quickly joined, thank God," Mans stated. Another pilot and a passenger pilot then entered the cockpit to regain control of the aircraft, which had begun to dive, causing passengers to be thrown around.

Mans explained that they managed to restrain the co-pilot using the plane's multimedia headphones. He expressed certainty that the incident was a "terror attack." The ordeal lasted between twenty to thirty minutes, involving a difficult struggle to subdue and stabilize the co-pilot.

Passengers, including Mans's daughters who cried out in fear of dying during the plane's dive, suffered severe trauma. "The feeling was like the end of life," Mans said. Despite the terror, the flight landed safely in Saudi Arabia, where passengers received medical attention and provisions. Mans praised the other passengers and a doctor who assisted in subduing the co-pilot as heroes.

Mans, along with other Israelis, successfully prevented the co-pilot from crashing the plane. The passengers were later attended to by medical teams in Saudi Arabia, with many experiencing anxiety attacks and children suffering lasting trauma. Mans concluded by emphasizing the need to draw conclusions from the event, expressing relief that the outcome was positive.