Passengers Recount Terrifying Flydubai Hijacking Attempt

Passengers on Flydubai Flight 1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv recounted the harrowing moments when the co-pilot attacked the captain and attempted to crash the Boeing 737 Max last Wednesday. The aircraft plummeted 14,000 feet in seconds, bringing passengers to the brink of disaster. "This minute is probably the longest minute of my life," said passenger Daniel Schlichter, who recalled thinking of 9/11 and holding his wife's hand tightly. Zvika Mans, seated with his family, heard his daughter scream that the pilot was being stabbed and immediately rushed to help subdue the attacker, punching him and later helping to restrain him with headphone cords. Assaf Rejwan joined the struggle, describing his shift to a "beastly state" to protect his family. He praised the captain, Smith Machar, for fighting the attacker and opening the cockpit door, calling him a hero. Plumber Yaniw Chayun also reportedly assisted in pulling the attacker out and stabilizing the plane. Passenger Tal Shmuel observed that ordinary people transformed into a primal state, "like lions in a killing mode." Two off-duty pilots, one from New Zealand and another from South Africa, who were part of a relief crew, intervened. One pilot quickly entered the cockpit and took control of the plane before even sitting down, while the other began tending to the injured captain. Dr. Shota Musayev, who had helped restrain the attacker, provided medical aid to the captain's head and hand injuries. He told his wife he had to go and loved her, understanding the captain might die. The flight was eventually landed safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. Mans expressed concern about being detained due to the blood, but passengers received assistance. Dr. Musayev reflected on the mutual heroism, stating, "If he (the captain) wasn't smart and brave, we wouldn't be alive. On the other hand, if we weren't brave, he wouldn't be alive." The passengers' accounts were featured on CBS Sunday Morning.