An Israeli passenger aboard Flydubai Flight FZ1073 has described how a badly wounded captain helped give passengers access to the cockpit during a mid-air emergency, allowing them to overpower the co-pilot and prevent what they feared could become a disaster.
Yaniv Hayun, who was travelling with his daughter Noa, said Captain Smit Machchhar was lying seriously injured inside the cockpit after being attacked during the Dubai to Tel Aviv flight. Despite his condition, Machchhar managed to open the cockpit door, giving passengers and crew a chance to intervene.
Hayun said he entered the cockpit with a crew member and found the co-pilot still at the controls. He grabbed the man from behind and helped pull him away as others joined the struggle. Hayun said the co-pilot fought back and tried to remain inside the cockpit, but passengers eventually forced him out.
The aircraft had already entered a dramatic descent during the confrontation, dropping nearly 14,000 feet in less than a minute. Hayun said his immediate concern was stopping the aircraft from going down and helping the wounded captain survive. Two off-duty pilots travelling on the flight later took control of the aircraft.
As other passengers restrained the co-pilot, a doctor and fellow travelers attended to Machchhar. Hayun said he tried to reassure the captain as he lay injured, telling him, “You’re not going to die today.” He later described Machchhar as an “absolute hero” whose actions gave everyone on board a chance to survive.
The flight was diverted to Tabuk in Saudi Arabia, where it landed safely. Both pilots were taken for medical attention. Authorities have continued investigating the circumstances surrounding the cockpit attack and the co-pilot’s actions, while the precise motive has not been publicly established.
Hayun said he could not say with certainty what the co-pilot intended, but the situation inside the cockpit appeared extremely dangerous. His account reflects the confusion faced by passengers who were forced to respond within seconds, with little understanding of what had triggered the violence or whether the aircraft could still be controlled.
The incident has drawn strong reactions in Israel and India. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the passengers who intervened, while Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi later spoke with Machchhar and commended his courage and quick thinking. Hayun has also said he hopes to meet the captain again and personally thank him for what he believes was a life saving decision.
The emergency has revived discussion about cockpit security, particularly in situations where the threat comes from someone already authorized to be inside. Similar concerns gained global attention after the 2015 Germanwings Flight 9525 disaster, when a co-pilot deliberately crashed an aircraft in the French Alps, killing all 150 people aboard and prompting airlines to review cockpit access procedures.
For the passengers on FZ1073, however, the event was not about aviation policy in the moment. It was about survival. Hayun’s account describes strangers helping one another inside a falling aircraft, an injured captain still trying to protect those behind him, and passengers making split second decisions that helped turn a potentially catastrophic emergency into a safe landing.
