‘I watch Air Crash Investigations’: How Israeli plumber briefly took control of Flydubai flight amid hijack scare
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "‘I watch Air Crash Investigations’: How Israeli plumber briefly took control of Flydubai flight amid hijack scare")
This screen grab taken from video footage released by the Israeli Prime Minister's Office shows Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (L) meeting a man named Yaniv, describing him as one of the passengers who managed to break into the flydubai aircraft's cockpit, at Israel's Ben Gurion Airport in Lod on September 30, 2026.
An Israeli plumber who helped foil the Flydubai hijacking told PM Netanyahu he learned to handle the aircraft controls from a TV show as passengers fought to save the flight.
Yaniv Hayoun, the Israeli plumber who was among the passengers who helped thwart the hijacking of the Flydubai flight on Wednesday (Sep 30), said that he learned to fly the plane from a TV show. Hayoun told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he took control of the flight controls to prevent the plane from crashing after the co-pilot attacked Indian Captain Smit Machchhar in an attempt to hijack the flight.
After landing in Tel Aviv, Yaniv detailed what happened inside the cockpit of flight FZ 1073 when the Omani pilot tried to hijack the plane with the intention of crashing it. An altercation broke out between the two pilots. Despite being severely injured, Machchhar managed to open the door of the cockpit, which allowed passengers to overpower the Omani pilot.
What did Yaniv tell Netanyahu
“We pinned him down to keep him secure and then I jumped into it (the cockpit) and pulled the controls,” Yaniv told the Israeli prime minister.
Incredulously, Netanyahu asked how Yaniv knew how to pull the controls backwards. To this, he replied, “I watch Air Crash Investigations Mr Prime Minister.”
Yaniv added that the plane began to level after he gripped the controls briefly and an off-duty pilot told him that he would take it from there.
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Detailing how he helped overpower the co-pilot, Yaniv said, “I pushed the door; the pilot who was stabbed was simply very close to the door, so it was hard for us to open. We pulled him out – it was a matter of seconds.”
Netanyahu praised Yaniv for his “tremendous resourcefulness”. US President Donald Trump also praised Yaniv’s “amazing” actions. Following the hijacking scare, photos showed Yaniv in a bloodied T-shirt.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Thursday (Oct 1) said that he would present “heroism” awards to five Israelis who helped overpower the co-pilot and prevented him from crashing the plane.
What happened on Flydubai flight?
A major hijacking attempt was foiled on a Flydubai flight, carrying 174 passengers, travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv on Wednesday (Sep 30). The situation onboard turned chaotic when the Omani co-pilot attempted to murder Indian Captain Smit Machchhar and hijack the flight with the intention of crashing it. Machchhar bravely fought with his co-pilot and managed to open the cockpit door despite battling severe wounds and blood loss.
Once the cockpit door was open, passengers rushed in and overpowered the co-pilot, restraining him. A dentist on the flight tended to Machchhar’s injuries and stabilised him. Two off-duty pilots, who were among the passengers, took control of the flight and made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia.
During the altercation, the plane suddenly plunged several feet, from nearly 34,000 feet to less than 17,000 feet. The plane also sent distress signal 7700, a general international emergency signal. It also briefly sent the code 7500, which signals hijacking and unlawful interference, before it went back to the original distress code.
From there, the Israeli passengers were sent on another flight, also operated by Flydubai, to their intended destination in Tel Aviv. No other crew members or passengers were injured in the incident. Machchhar underwent surgery in Saudi Arabia after landing. He was airlifted to the UAE on Thursday (Oct 1).
