Passengers tackled knife-wielding pilot who tried to crash plane
Passengers on a Boeing 737 Max fought and overpowered a co-pilot who stabbed the captain and tried to crash the aircraft mid-flight.
Yaniv Hayoun, a plumber, forced his way into the cockpit of Flydubai flight FZ1073 when an Omani co-pilot stabbed the Indian captain Smit Machchhar and began attacking the controls. The aircraft was plummeting, dropping 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds.
Hayoun grabbed the attacker and held him while other passengers joined in a fight lasting at least 20 minutes. Captain Machchhar, bleeding heavily, managed to unlock the cockpit door before losing consciousness.
Two off-duty pilots among the 174 passengers and crew then took control and landed the aircraft safely in Saudi Arabia. Israeli authorities are investigating the co-pilot, arrested at the scene, for suspected terrorism.
- 174 passengers and crew
- People on board
- 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds
- Altitude loss rate
- At least 20 minutes
- Fight duration
- Tabuk Airport, Saudi Arabia
- Emergency landing location
Why it mattersThe incident exposes gaps in aircraft security and raises urgent questions about pilot vetting and cockpit access protocols in commercial aviation.
AustraliaTwo Australians were among the 174 people on board who survived the attempted crash.
Corroborated bysmh.com.au
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