Passenger Recounts Saving Flydubai Jet From Crash to Netanyahu

An Israeli passenger named Yaniv recounted to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu how he helped subdue an alleged assailant and stabilize a Flydubai aircraft during a sharp descent. The meeting took place at Ben Gurion Airport upon the passengers' return to Israel.

According to Yaniv, he and another passenger entered the cockpit, finding the captain injured. The alleged attacker was positioned at the controls between two seats. Yaniv stated he pulled the man away from the controls, removed him from the cockpit, and then called for other Israelis to help restrain him. The passenger claimed the man attempted to damage the aircraft's controls.

Later, as the plane experienced a steep dive, Yaniv re-entered the cockpit. He grabbed the control column, pulling it back to help bring the aircraft out of its descent. "The plane started to level out a bit, and then the pilot told me that he would take control now," Yaniv said. He explained his understanding of the pilot's actions stemmed from watching a documentary series on air crash investigations.

This incident involved a Flydubai pilot, Sumit Matckar, who was reportedly stabbed in the cockpit. Flydubai has stated that the motives behind the incident are under investigation. Netanyahu had previously suggested the pilot attempted to crash the plane and convened a security meeting following the event.