A Plumber Put Flydubai Cockpit Attacker in Chokehold, Raised Plane’s Nose

An Israeli plumber with no reported aviation or military background says he restrained the attacker inside a Flydubai cockpit, then pulled back on the controls to raise the aircraft’s nose during a steep descent.

Yaniv Hayoun described his intervention to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after flight FZ1073 diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, on September 30.

Still wearing a blood-stained shirt, he attributed his decision at the controls to watching air-crash documentaries.

“Yes, I pulled them all the way back. I watch Air Crash Investigation!” Hayoun said in a video released by Netanyahu’s office.

A Struggle Inside the Cockpit

Hayoun had been traveling with his family, seated near row 16, when a passenger shouted that someone had been stabbed.

He said the cabin lights went out and the aircraft began descending and rolling.

According to Israeli accounts, the first officer had attacked captain Smit Machchhar with a knife before attempting to damage the controls or force the Boeing 737 MAX 8 downward.

The wounded captain managed to open the cockpit door before collapsing, allowing passengers and crew to enter.

Hayoun said he found the attacker between the pilots’ seats, interfering with the instruments.

He described placing the man in a chokehold and dragging him from the flight deck.

Two other passengers helped hold him down, using headphones initially and later zip ties to restrain him.

Hayoun then returned to the cockpit and pulled the control column back. He said the aircraft’s nose began rising.

Off-duty pilots traveling on the flight subsequently assumed control and stabilized the aircraft for the diversion.

Emergency Landing in Saudi Arabia

The Dubai–Tel Aviv flight carried more than 170 people, most of them Israeli.

Reports described a descent of about 17,000 feet in less than two minutes, while flight-tracking data recorded a sharp drop.

Machchhar underwent surgery in Saudi Arabia and was reported to be in stable condition.

A passenger, dentist Dr. Shota Musayev, had provided first aid after the attack.

Saudi authorities arrested the first officer following the landing. Israeli officials identified him as an Omani national who had worked for Flydubai for less than a year.

Passengers continued to Israel that evening. Flydubai subsequently suspended its Israel services.

Netanyahu Draws a 9/11 Comparison

Meeting Hayoun at Ben Gurion Airport, Netanyahu told him: “Without you it could have been another 9/11.”

Saudi authorities’ initial assessment was that the first officer had intended to crash the aircraft, while the motive and possible involvement of others remained under investigation.

Israeli officials have described the incident as an attempted terrorist attack.

Netanyahu raised the possibility of Iranian involvement but acknowledged the uncertainty: “I think it’s too early to say whether there was Iranian collusion here.”