‘I watch Mayday’: Israeli passenger says Canadian documentary helped him take control of flydubai flight

Israeli passenger Yaniv Hayoun's years of watching aviation disaster investigations on television proved crucial during a cockpit crisis on Flydubai Flight FZ1073. The Canadian aviation documentary series Mayday, also known as Air Crash Investigation, played a pivotal role in helping Hayoun overpower the alleged attacker and take control of the aircraft.

The Dubai-to-Tel Aviv flight encountered a mid-air incident when one pilot was reportedly attacked by the other, leading to the plane being diverted to Saudi Arabia. Hayoun, along with another passenger, managed to enter the cockpit and found the injured pilot near the door, while the alleged attacker was at the controls. Upon entering the cockpit, Hayoun identified the terrorist situated between the two seats with no pilots in their respective seats.

He then grabbed the alleged attacker, restrained him, and pulled him away from the controls. As the aircraft continued to descend sharply, Hayoun bravely rushed back into the cockpit, grabbed the controls, and started pulling them. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later asked Hayoun how he knew how to operate the controls, to which Hayoun responded, "I watch Mayday, Mr. Prime Minister."

The aircraft eventually leveled out, and another pilot took over. The plane landed safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, allowing passengers to continue their journey to Israel on a rescue flight. The motive behind the cockpit incident and the circumstances surrounding the attack are still under investigation.