Four passengers told CBS News how they joined others in the cabin during a cockpit emergency aboard FlyDubai Flight 1073, after the aircraft plunged thousands of feet and the captain was injured. Their account describes a rapid effort to restrain the co-pilot, regain control and help the captain before the plane landed in Saudi Arabia.
Daniel Schlichter, Zvika Manes, Tal Samuel and Asaf Rajuan had not seen one another since the flight from Dubai to Israel earlier in the week. Speaking to CBS News, they recalled the aircraft’s sudden descent and the moment passengers realized the cockpit was in danger.
CBS reported that the Boeing 737 Max lost about 14,000 feet in seconds and came within roughly 30 seconds of crashing. The report says the co-pilot had attacked Captain Smit Machchhar and taken the controls. The passengers’ recollections describe people moving toward the cockpit while the captain fought to open its door.
Manes said he heard his daughter shout that the pilot was being stabbed. Several passengers, including Israeli plumber Yaniv Hayoun, rushed toward the cockpit. They restrained the co-pilot, Hamam al Hamami, while an off-duty pilot moved to the controls and brought the aircraft out of its descent, according to the CBS account.
Machchhar was bleeding from wounds to his head and hands. Dentist Shota Musaev treated him in the cabin and urged the crew to land quickly. The nearest airport was Tabuk in Saudi Arabia. CBS said the passengers were welcomed there and the captain was taken to hospital, where he was recovering.
CBS also reported that authorities in the United Arab Emirates described the incident as a terrorist act. Israeli investigators were examining the co-pilot’s social-media posts, while CBS said he had previously been barred from flying in Oman over concerns about extremist views. The report does not present these allegations as a judicial finding.