Dubai: Israeli passenger Yaniv Hayoun reportedly helped prevent a potentially catastrophic incident aboard Flydubai flight FZ 1073 after an attempted hijacking on the aircraft.
According to reports, Hayoun had no professional security background. However, after realizing that a hijacking attempt was underway, he rushed toward the cockpit to intervene.
Reports said the co-pilot had stabbed the pilot and was allegedly attempting to crash the aircraft. Hayoun entered the cockpit, physically confronted the co-pilot, placed him in a chokehold and pulled him out of the cockpit. Other passengers subsequently joined him in restraining the co-pilot.
Hayoun then returned to the cockpit and reportedly pulled back on the aircraft’s control yoke, helping bring the plane out of a steep nosedive. The aircraft had reportedly lost more than 17,000 feet of altitude in less than two minutes.
An off-duty pilot later entered the cockpit and took over the controls, while Hayoun returned to assist others in keeping the co-pilot restrained.
The incident highlighted the quick response of passengers and crew members in preventing what could have developed into a major aviation disaster.