Flydubai Crew's Heroism Averted Terror Attack, Passenger Recounts

Two pilots from a relief crew on a Flydubai flight to Tel Aviv are credited with preventing a terror attack by taking control of the aircraft and landing it in Saudi Arabia. Their identities remain undisclosed. Daniel Schlichter, a passenger returning to Israel from Japan on flight FZ 1073, recounted the events to the Associated Press on Sunday, October 4. Schlichter, seated near the front of the cabin, noted that many passengers initially suspected the two relief pilots of being accomplices to the terrorist who had attacked the cockpit.

According to Schlichter, the situation escalated when Yaniv Hayon, another passenger, pulled the second pilot out of the cockpit, and other passengers assisted in neutralizing the attacker. At this point, one of the relief pilots entered the cockpit. Schlichter described how this pilot had to "jump over those who were fighting the terrorist" to reach the controls. He was soon joined by a second relief pilot, and together they secured the cockpit door, preventing anyone else from entering.

Schlichter praised the first relief pilot's actions, stating, "He acted with expertise. I think we owe him no less than the other heroes of this flight." However, the relief pilots' subsequent silence and the securing of the cockpit door caused further anxiety among passengers, who feared the plane might be hijacked. This silence lasted for 45 minutes before the crew announced that the flight would land in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. Schlichter stated that it was at this moment he realized the pilots could be trusted.