Passenger Recounts Terror on Flydubai Flight Hijacking Attempt

Ofer Dubrowski, returning to Israel from Kathmandu, recounted the terrifying moments aboard a Flydubai flight that experienced a hijacking attempt and severe dive. Dubrowski, seated in seat 8C, was asleep when the incident began. He awoke to find that a passenger and a flight attendant had discovered the co-pilot had stabbed Captain Smith Machachchar, leaving blood throughout the cockpit. Passengers then rushed forward, subdued the co-pilot using headphones and plastic zip ties, and pulled the injured captain out of the cockpit. According to aviation expert Steve Scheibner, also known as "Captain Steve," the co-pilot disengaged the autopilot and caused the plane to plummet approximately 5,500 meters in 30 seconds. Israeli fighter jets were scrambled after a hijacking alert code was issued. The decision was made to divert the flight to Saudi Arabia.

Scheibner, a former US Navy and American Airlines pilot, explained that Boeing cockpit doors are designed to be opened from the inside more easily than from the outside, but not impossibly. Following the stabilization of the aircraft, passengers, fearing potential complicity from other crew members, secured the cockpit themselves and guarded the flight attendants. Dubrowski's wife, a psychiatrist, helped calm panicked passengers. The plane made a surprisingly smooth landing in Saudi Arabia, despite damage to its rear wing from the dive. Upon arrival, passengers were met by emergency services and soldiers and taken to a secluded area where they were provided with food and water. Unable to use their phones, Dubrowski purchased SIM cards for about 20 Israelis to contact their families.

A replacement crew from Flydubai later arrived in Saudi Arabia. Passengers were asked to board a new aircraft and sit in their original seats, causing significant anxiety until the new pilots addressed and reassured them.