TV Show's Aviation Expertise Aided Passenger in Flydubai Hijacking Attempt

A passenger who helped thwart a hijacking attempt on a Flydubai flight credited his knowledge to the television show "Air Crash Investigation." Yaniv Hayoun, one of the passengers who entered the cockpit and subdued the co-pilot, told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he learned what to do from the documentary series.

Hayoun recounted how he saw the assailant between the seats and, with no pilots present, performed a chokehold and pulled him out. He then called for other Israeli passengers to help, and they began to pull on the controls. When asked by Netanyahu how he knew what to do, Hayoun replied, "I watch 'Air Crash Investigation.'" He added that the plane began to stabilize, and then the pilot informed him he was taking control.

"Air Crash Investigation" is a Canadian documentary series that has been airing for over two decades, reconstructing real aviation accidents and incidents. It uses investigation reports, cockpit recordings, testimonies, interviews, and simulations to detail events, with a significant focus on cockpit procedures and emergency responses. The show has been broadcast in Israel on the National Geographic channel since 2004.

Notably, the series previously featured an episode about a fatal crash involving a Flydubai flight. Flight 981 crashed in Rostov, Russia, in March 2016, resulting in the deaths of all 62 people on board. This incident was reconstructed in an episode titled "Holding Pattern."