Passenger describes helping control Flydubai aircraft after cockpit attack

Passenger Yaniv Hayun has described helping to control a Flydubai aircraft after its Indian captain was stabbed by the co-pilot during a flight to Tel Aviv. Hayun and his daughter Noa were among 174 people aboard Flight FZ1073 when the incident occurred on Wednesday, according to an interview with India Today. Noa translated her father’s account from Hebrew.

Hayun said the cockpit door was unlocked and that he and a crew member pushed it open. Inside, he found Captain Smit Machchhar injured on the floor while the Omani co-pilot was at the controls. The passenger said the co-pilot appeared to be interfering with the aircraft’s systems.

Hayun grabbed him from behind and pulled him away from the controls, with other passengers helping to restrain him. Hayun said the aircraft was still diving during the struggle. He moved towards the controls and pulled back on them, using his familiarity with aircraft controls from watching television programmes about air accidents.

He said two off-duty pilots travelling in economy then took over. According to Hayun, he remained near the cockpit door to prevent further entry while others stayed with the injured captain and the co-pilot. He credited Machchhar with opening the cockpit door, saying passengers might otherwise have been unable to intervene.

Hayun called the captain a hero and said he wanted to thank him for helping save those aboard. He said Machchhar fought back despite his injuries and wished him a quick recovery. Hayun said he did not know what motivated the co-pilot or whether he had intended to crash the plane.

The supplied material did not include an official account of the incident, the captain’s medical condition or any confirmed explanation of the co-pilot’s actions.