{
  "id": 11227166,
  "title": "Flydubai passenger describes hugging his children as plane nosedived during attack",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/01/flydubai-passenger-describes-hugging-his-children-as-plane-nosedived-11227166",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-01T16:03:01.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "MyJoyOnline Ghana",
    "slug": "myjoyonline-ghana",
    "url": "https://www.myjoyonline.com/flydubai-passenger-describes-hugging-his-children-as-plane-nosedived-during-attack/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A Flydubai passenger recounted the harrowing experience of his plane plummeting nearly 17,000 feet in less than two minutes during a mid-flight attack. Adam Polovincik, a performance marketing analyst, described how he huddled with his two young children, a six-year-old son and three-year-old daughter, as the aircraft descended. The sudden drop left passengers and crew in a state of panic, with screams of \"blood, stabbing, we need help\" echoing through the cabin. After approximately 10 to 15 minutes of chaos, a passenger in the cockpit informed the passengers that the incident was under control, and other staff members took over the plane's operations. Pilots who were already on board then regained control, safely landing the aircraft, which was en route from Dubai to Tel Aviv. The stabbed pilot is currently in stable condition, while the alleged attacker has been apprehended. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu mentioned that it was premature to determine whether Iran was involved in the attack, but stated that the suspect had been radicalized with Islamist beliefs. Polovincik and his family were flying home after a trip to Singapore and Thailand, and the sudden panic on the plane was exacerbated by the presence of numerous families with children, as the flight coincided with the end of a Jewish holiday. After the incident was brought under control, the flight was diverted to Saudi Arabia, where passengers were provided with water, food, and even sweets for the children, despite the lack of diplomatic relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia.",
  "summary": "A man has described how he hugged and reassured his two young children as their plane suddenly descended after one pilot stabbed the other in an attempt to seize control of the flight.",
  "key_points": [
    "Flydubai plane plummeted 17,000 feet in 2 minutes during mid-flight attack",
    "Adam Polovincik hugged children as plane nosedived during chaos",
    "Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu stated Iran involvement premature"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 6,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Live Mint",
        "title": "FlyDubai passengers recount 'hijacking', 18,000-ft plunge: ‘We saw stabbings, plane felt like rollercoaster’",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/01/flydubai-passengers-recount-hijacking-18-000-ft-plunge-we-saw",
        "published": "2026-10-01T11:40:49.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Saudi Gazette",
        "title": "Saudi Arabia launches safety investigation into Flydubai emergency landing in Tabuk",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/01/saudi-arabia-launches-safety-investigation-into-flydubai-emergency",
        "published": "2026-10-01T13:32:26.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "BBC News",
        "title": "Flydubai passenger describes hugging his children as plane nosedived during attack",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/01/flydubai-passenger-describes-hugging-his-children-as-plane-nosedived",
        "published": "2026-10-01T13:34:37.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "CBC News",
        "title": "What we know so far about the midair FlyDubai attack",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/01/what-we-know-so-far-about-the-midair-flydubai-attack",
        "published": "2026-10-01T13:38:01.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Winnipeg Free Press",
        "title": "Canadian TV show ‘Mayday’ cited by passenger who thwarted Flydubai attack",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/01/canadian-tv-show-mayday-cited-by-passenger-who-thwarted-flydubai",
        "published": "2026-10-01T20:24:07.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}