Co-pilot attacks captain with cockpit axe on flydubai flight; passenger Yaniv Hayoun helps regain control

What happened on flydubai flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv on September 30 read like a Hollywood thriller. At 33,000 feet the aircraft's nose suddenly dipped and within seconds the plane had dropped 14,000 feet. More than 174 passengers screamed for their lives. A major disaster was averted by the courage of Indian captain Smit Machhar and Israeli passenger Yaniv Hayoun.

According to the information available, the co-pilot suddenly launched a deadly attack on the captain, Smit Machhar, in the cockpit. There was initially talk of a knife attack on board. However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in an interview to CBS News that the attacker had not brought a knife or any weapon from outside. He used the fire axe, or crash axe, already kept in the cockpit.

Under ICAO rules, every commercial aircraft must keep such a crash axe in the cockpit for emergency rescue, fighting fires or breaking down a door. The co-pilot attacked Captain Machhar with this axe. He took control of the aircraft and tried to crash it to the ground.

Captain Machhar was seriously injured in the attack and was covered in blood. Even so, he showed great composure and courage, with no regard for his own life. Since 9/11, aircraft around the world have had a system to lock the cockpit door securely from inside. In extremely difficult conditions, Captain Machhar opened the cockpit door so that passengers and cabin crew standing outside could come in to help. His presence of mind saved the lives of 174 passengers. The governments of India and Israel are warmly praising his courage.

While the aircraft's nose was down and it was falling fast, Yaniv Hayoun, an Israeli citizen seated among the passengers, ran towards the cockpit. With the help of other passengers, he gripped the attacking co-pilot by the neck and pulled him away from the controls. Hayoun then grabbed the control column (yoke) and pulled it hard back. The falling aircraft recovered and began to climb. Shortly afterwards, another pilot who was travelling as a passenger on leave took full control of the cockpit and landed the aircraft safely at Tabuk airport in Saudi Arabia.

Netanyahu asked Hayoun how, being a plumber by profession, he knew how to fly a plane. Hayoun replied that he regularly watches National Geographic's well-known TV show "Air Crash Investigation" (also known as Mayday), and that is how he knew how to handle the controls.

Many people on social media have expressed doubt that a plumber with no formal training handled the crisis so precisely. According to internet users, "plumber" could be a code name for a spy of Israel's intelligence agency Mossad. Former US President Trump also joked about the incident, saying Hollywood should make a film on this "plumber-hero". The Israeli administration has clarified that Hayoun is not a spy but a brave citizen.