Israeli Passengers Recount Averting Flydubai Hijacking

Israeli passengers who intervened to prevent a hijacking on a Flydubai flight have shared their harrowing experiences. During the incident, the co-pilot attacked the captain with a knife and attempted to crash the plane. Daniel Schlichter described the terrifying moments when the aircraft plummeted, recalling, "The first thing that came to my mind was 9/11." He added, "In such moments, your whole life flashes before your eyes, and you start thinking about what's truly important."

Passengers, including Manes and Tal Samuel, described an instinctual fight for survival overriding fear. Manes recounted tackling the co-pilot, striking him and attempting to restrain him, while Tal Samuel noted that ordinary, polite individuals transformed into "predators" driven to stop the attacker. They were unsure if the assailant had a knife, posing further danger.

Despite severe knife wounds inflicted by the co-pilot, Captain Smith Machchhar managed to open the cockpit door. This allowed passengers to enter and subdue the attacker, ultimately saving the flight. Following the incident, passengers sought medical help for the captain, with dentist Shota Musaev stepping in to assess his critical condition and urge an immediate landing.

Shota Musaev stated that the shared ordeal has forged a strong bond between passengers and crew, making them feel like a "big family." He credited their survival to the combined actions: the captain's bravery in opening the door and the passengers' intervention in stopping the co-pilot.

Another Israeli passenger, Ofer Dubrovisky, who was on the flight from Kathmandu, also recounted waking up to the hijacking attempt and how passengers managed to stop the co-pilot. The aircraft later landed safely in Saudi Arabia.