Israeli Passengers Recount Flydubai Hijacking Drama, Suspicions of Crew

Three Israeli passengers who subdued a co-pilot after he attacked the captain with an axe on a Flydubai flight have spoken about the harrowing ordeal in an interview with the New York Post. The co-pilot, Hammam Al-Hamami, attacked Captain Smith Machachchar with an axe, severely injuring him. The captain managed to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers Zvika Mance, Yeniv Hayon, and Assaf Radwan to rush in and overpower the attacker, restraining him.

During the struggle, the aircraft plunged 17,000 feet. Yeniv Hayon, a plumber, managed to stabilize the plane using techniques he learned from a television show, "Aviation Investigated." He later recounted this to Prime Minister Netanyahu upon his return to Israel.

Adding to the drama, Mance and other passengers reported that flight crew members demanded they release the restrained co-pilot. "They told us to release the terrorist, and then we started to suspect them," one passenger, real estate agent Daniel Schlichter, told the Post. Mance stated that the crew insisted they were in charge of the aircraft, but the Israelis, fearing some crew members might be complicit in the attack, took control of the cockpit area and ordered the flight attendants to move to the rear of the plane.

Mance described the intense fight in the cockpit as "the longest minute of my life," recalling the violent struggle, punches, and kicks as they fought to protect their families. He admitted that the passengers were not trained fighters but ordinary people trying to save their lives, thinking of the 9/11 attacks during the plane's steep descent.