TV Show 'Air Crash Investigation' Aided Passenger in Flydubai Hijacking

A passenger who helped thwart a hijacking attempt on a Flydubai flight credits the television show "Air Crash Investigation" with providing him the knowledge to act. Yaniv Hayun, 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.

Hayun recounted seeing the assailant between the seats and that "no pilots were in the seats." He stated, "I put him in a chokehold and pulled him out first." He then called for other Israeli passengers, and they began to pull on the controls. When asked by Netanyahu how he knew what to do, Hayun replied, "I watch 'Air Crash Investigation.'"

The series, which has been airing for over two decades, reconstructs real aviation accidents and incidents using investigation reports, cockpit recordings, testimonies, and simulations. It delves into the specifics of cockpit operations, aircraft systems, and emergency responses, exposing viewers to aviation terminology and procedures over time.

"Air Crash Investigation" has been broadcast in Israel on the National Geographic channel since 2004. Notably, the series previously featured an episode reconstructing the fatal crash of a Flydubai flight in Rostov, Russia, in March 2016, which resulted in the deaths of all 62 people on board. The episode was titled "Holding Pattern."