Pilot, Plumber And An Ordinary Father: Meet The Heroes Who Saved 174 Lives On Flydubai Flight

Last Updated:October 01, 2026, 09:47 IST

The incident began with a struggle when the co-pilot, who is yet to be named, attacked Captain Smit Machchhar, leaving him seriously injured. The motive behind this act is unclear

Flydubai heroes who confronted the attacker, helping avert a major tragedy

Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar emerged as a “true hero” after resisting a brutal knife attack by his co-pilot on a Tel Aviv-bound Flydubai flight and helping prevent what could have been a major tragedy.

According to The Guardian, captain Machchhar was lying on the floorboard of the plane after being attacked by his co-pilot with a knife. Despite this, he managed to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers to come inside, restrain the attacker and save the lives of 174 passengers onboard.

But, this is not the end of the story.

Among the heroes who helped restrain the attacker and curb the situation was an ordinary passenger who was aboard the Tel Aviv-bound flight.

Yaniv Hayon, a plumber who is a native of Israel, handled the aircraft amidst the chaos, keeping it stable. When asked by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu how he handled the flight, his answer was simple: “Yes, I watch ‘Air Crash Investigation.’”

According to Hayun, watching the documentary series helped him learn the basic aircraft techniques to follow during a crisis.

“Yoniv, you’re a true hero. We’re a nation of lions!” the Israeli Premier posted on X, hailing the passenger for his bravery during the tense moments onboard.

The incident began with a struggle when the co-pilot, who is yet to be named, attacked Captain Smit Machchhar, leaving him seriously injured. While the motive behind this act remains unclear, Israel is treating the incident as a “terrorist attack”.

Dr Shota Musaev, a dentist on board, was among those who ran to the cockpit to save the pilot. “He was covered in cuts – his head, his hands – they were practically sliced open, almost severed in two … he had lost a lot of blood and was in bad shape”, he told CNN.

“I think that if we had waited even a few more moments, we would have lost him; his blood pressure had plummeted, he suddenly lost consciousness, and there was blood everywhere,” he added.

Tzvika Mans, an ordinary Israeli father, tied the co-pilot with a cable so that he couldn’t move, while Asaf Redjuan was among those who confronted the attacker, helping restrain him.

The flight was diverted to Tabuk in Saudi Arabia after the incident. Initially, an emergency alert as well as a ‘hijack’ alarm was transmitted to regional air traffic controllers and security agencies, prompting Israeli authorities to scramble jets to rescue the passengers.

However, several outlets later reported that the alert arose from an attack on the captain by his co-pilot. An investigation remains underway to determine the reason behind the attack as well as the motive of the attacker.

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How did Captain Smit Machchhar save 174 passengers during the Flydubai flight attack?

Despite being brutally attacked with a knife by his co-pilot and lying injured on the floorboard, Captain Smit Machchhar managed to open the cockpit door. This allowed passengers to enter, restrain the attacker, and ultimately prevent a major tragedy.

How did passenger Yaniv Hayon help stabilize the Flydubai aircraft?

Yaniv Hayon, an Israeli plumber and passenger on the flight, helped handle and keep the aircraft stable during the chaos. He later credited his ability to manage basic aircraft techniques during the crisis to watching the documentary series ‘Air Crash Investigation’.

Where did the Flydubai flight divert after the co-pilot attack incident?

Following the cockpit attack and subsequent struggle, the flight was diverted to Tabuk in Saudi Arabia. Israeli authorities had initially scrambled rescue jets after receiving emergency and hijack alerts, while authorities launched an ongoing investigation into the attacker’s motive.

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Meemansa ShekhawatSub-editor

A Journalism graduate, Meemansa Shekhawat is a sub-editor at News18. Driven by a keen interest in news, she is a passionate writer with specialisation in national and international affairs. You can re…Read More

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