‘It’s hard to explain how heroic they were’: Passengers praise Israeli heroism on Flydubai flight

“It felt like, that’s it. It’s over. September 11 is happening again.” 

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Passengers aboard Flydubai Flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv on Wednesday praised the heroism of three Israeli men who subdued an attacking co-pilot after a cockpit altercation sent the aircraft into a steep dive and left another pilot injured.

The aircraft later made an emergency landing at Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia, where passengers clapped and celebrated after reaching the ground safely.

According to preliminary reports and passenger accounts, the co-pilot allegedly attempted to deliberately crash the plane, sending it into a steep dive.

A struggle followed in which the captain was stabbed and injured. After hearing screams, Israeli passengers and crew members entered the cockpit area, and three Israelis restrained and tied up the attacker.

Daniel, a passenger on the flight, told N12 that the aircraft plunged and spun uncontrollably for an estimated two or three minutes, although it seemed much longer.

“It felt like, that’s it. It’s over. September 11 is happening again,” he said.

Daniel believed a terrorist attack was underway as he heard screams from the struggle. He later saw blood on the floor after the injured pilot was brought out.

He described the three Israelis who intervened as “real heroes” and said it was difficult to convey the extent of their actions.

Even after the attacker had been restrained, passengers remained uncertain about what was happening. Daniel said he could see only desert outside and, aware of Iran’s proximity, feared the aircraft might be hijacked there.

The two other pilots who took control initially did not address the passengers, apparently focusing on securing the aircraft. They locked themselves in the cockpit, Daniel said, leaving the cabin without communication from them.

Daniel also described the two Flydubai flight attendants as overwhelmed and unsure how to respond.

“All kinds of thoughts were running through our heads,” Daniel said.

His fears began to ease when one of the pilots finally addressed the passengers and told them the aircraft was going to land.

Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett also praised the passengers’ actions, questioning where else citizens would calmly overpower an armed attacker thousands of meters in the air while a plane was plunging to save 180 lives.