Flydubai Heroes:
“We decided to fight for our lives”
Following an attempted hijacking of a Flydubai aircraft, the passengers landed safely in Israel on Wednesday evening. Some still looked visibly shaken. Among them were the heroes of the flight, who overpowered the attacker. The assailant is believed to be a religious extremist—though he has no ties to a terrorist network.
Kronen Zeitung als bevorzugte Google-Quelle hinzufügen Concerned family members and friends had been eagerly awaiting the arrival of their loved ones at Ben-Gurion Airport. Local TV stations and photographers were also on the scene. One of the brave individuals who subdued the hijacker is Asaf Rajuan. He sustained a head injury in the process, “but it’s not serious.”
“We were able to neutralize the terrorist for 55 minutes,” he told Channel 12: “I thank God and everyone who helped. Especially the two pilots who happened to be on board and landed the plane safely.”
“Just a few hours ago, I was on vacation in Thailand”
He had no doubts about the decision to storm the cockpit and subdue the hijacker, who had previously stabbed the captain and seriously injured him: “We decided to fight for our lives.” Still, he first needs to process what happened: “I’m still in shock. Just a few hours ago, I was on vacation in Thailand with my family.”
Still wearing his bloodstained T-shirt, Yaniv Hayoun was greeted at the airport by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The prime minister had previously paid tribute to the “heroes who showed extraordinary presence of mind and courage”: “They saved many lives.”
Hayoun described to the prime minister how he had forced his way into the cockpit and seen the attacker trying to destroy the flight instruments. He said he grabbed the man, put him in a headlock, and dragged him out of the cockpit. Then he was back: “I jumped in, pulled the control column backward.”
Life-saving move from “Mayday – Alarm in the Cockpit”
When Netanyahu pressed him on how he knew what to do, Hayoun replied, according to “Bild,” that he had seen it in “Mayday – Alarm in the Cockpit.” The documentary series reenacts and analyzes aviation disasters. After his intervention, the plane stabilized—after which two pilots who happened to be on board took over and landed the plane safely in Saudi Arabia.
This was also confirmed by another passenger who, along with two other men, held the attacker at bay. “While we were holding him down, someone shouted to ask if there were any pilots still on the plane, and two men actually responded,” the father told the newspaper.
In this post from Flightradar 24, you can see how the plane plummeted 14,000 feet—about 4,300 meters—within half a minute:
“We thought we wouldn’t make it out alive”
“There were moments when we thought we wouldn’t make it out alive,” an Israeli woman told television cameras after the violent incident in the cockpit. Videos circulating on social media show the harrowing moments the passengers—almost all of whom were Israelis—had to endure.
Captain in stable condition, treated by dentist
The seriously injured captain, Smit Machchhar, who is from India, is now in stable condition, the Indian Embassy in Saudi Arabia reported. According to the passengers’ account, Machchhar used his last ounce of strength to open the cockpit door, thereby allowing the passengers to intervene. As a result of the events of September 11, 2001, cockpit doors are locked from the inside.
The captain received medical care from a dentist on board until the plane landed in Saudi Arabia. The dentist, Shota Musaev, was modest in an interview with a local TV station: “I think everyone on board was a hero.” His wife, of whom he is particularly proud, prayed with the other passengers “that we would get home safely: That helped the people.”
Religious Fanatic from Oman
The co-pilot, who is believed to be responsible for the hijacking, was also injured and arrested. Nothing is known about his condition. However, the “Times of Israel” reports that he is believed to be a religious fanatic. The man, who is from Oman, “prayed several times a day and refused to shake hands with women,” according to a colleague who also works for the airline. He is said to have acted as a “lone wolf,” and there are reportedly no links to a terrorist network.
Nevertheless, Israel is tightening regulations for air travel until further notice. Passengers should expect heightened security measures and screenings during check-in.
This article has been automatically translated,
read the original article here.
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