Flydubai passenger describes putting attacker in chokehold after cockpit stabbing
Other passengers on the Israel-bound flight described the "terrifying" moment the plane dropped.
Passengers aboard a Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv recounted the harrowing moments when a pilot stabbed the co-pilot and attempted to sabotage the plane. Yaniv Hayun, a passenger, described putting the attacker in a chokehold and dragging him outside the plane. He claimed to have learned about the situation when the plane suddenly dropped about 17,000 feet in less than two minutes.
Hayun and others tried to open the cockpit door, but the injured pilot managed to do so before collapsing. Hayun then entered the cockpit, subdued the attacker, and took control of the plane, which began to stabilize. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised Hayun as a "great hero" and a "lion," while Indian national Captain Smit Machchhar, the stabbed pilot, was taken to a hospital in stable condition.
The attacker, suspected of a potential jihadist terror attack, was arrested and is under questioning by Saudi authorities.
Written by urgent.news from BBC World's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
