Israeli Passenger Recounts Subduing Attacker on Flydubai Flight to Tel Aviv

Yaniv Khayon, an Israeli passenger who helped subdue an attacker on a Flydubai flight to Tel Aviv, appeared on the American television show hosted by Dr. Phil. The flight, carrying 174 passengers including four American citizens, was en route to Tel Aviv when the incident occurred.

Dr. Phil introduced Khayon as one of the heroes of the dramatic event, describing how passengers faced a choice between inaction and intervention. Khayon recounted that about an hour before landing, screams of "stabbing" were heard from the front of the plane. The cabin lights and screens then went out, and the aircraft tilted sharply before returning to its normal position.

Motivated by the presence of his wife and daughters on board, Khayon understood the severity of the situation unfolding in the cockpit. He explained that when he entered the cockpit, the stabbed pilot was on the floor near the door, while the assailant pilot was leaning over the controls. Khayon stated, "I grabbed him in a chokehold and pulled him out of the cockpit."

When asked by Dr. Phil about any prior combat experience, Khayon humorously replied that he was "very mischievous" in kindergarten and has not been in a fight since. Dr. Phil, whose full name is Philip Calvin McGraw, is a well-known American television host with a doctorate in clinical psychology, though he has not held an active therapy license since 2006.