On Wednesday, more details emerged about the suspected attempted terror attack aboard a Flydubai plane from Dubai to Tel Aviv. An Omani co-pilot allegedly stabbed his Indian captain as the aircraft approached Israel. The plane then began a rapid descent, but the severely injured captain managed to open the cockpit door, where passengers were met with a bloody scene. A plumber intervened, overpowered the knife-wielding co-pilot, and took control of the flight controls to stabilize the airplane until another pilot on board took over. The stabbed captain and the plumber are now hailed as heroes for their actions that may have prevented a terror attack against the 174 people on board.

Flydubai flight FZ1073, a Boeing 737 MAX 8, departed from Dubai in the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday morning, bound for Tel Aviv, Israel.

On board were 174 passengers and crew members. The flight began routinely, but about two hours after takeoff, the plane began to deviate from its course and lose altitude.

This occurred after the Omani co-pilot launched a knife attack against his captain in the cockpit. Despite his wounds, Captain Smit Machchhar from India managed to open the cabin door, allowing others on board to assist him.

The Omani co-pilot is reported by a colleague to have started working for Flydubai about eight months ago. The colleague described him as religiously extremist, stating he prayed often during the day and refused to shake hands with women. These details have been reported in several Israeli media outlets.

According to media reports, the plane lost about 5,300 meters of altitude in less than two minutes, as passengers described screams and panic in the cabin.

Attempted Terror Attack

Israel’s government and security agencies describe the incident as a suspected terrorist act targeting Israelis. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement on Wednesday that the suspected pilot tried to crash the plane with everyone on board.

“I salute these heroes who showed extraordinary ingenuity and courage. They saved many lives and prevented a major catastrophe,” Netanyahu said.

In an interview with CNN on Wednesday, Netanyahu also stated that he did not yet have any information indicating that Iran was behind the attack.

“What we know is that he is an Omani citizen.”

The incident occurred just days after Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the United Arab Emirates and met with its president, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, in Abu Dhabi.

READ MORE: Arab pilot attempted to crash Tel Aviv flight with 174 passengers

Israel and the United Arab Emirates have maintained diplomatic relations since 2020, when they normalized ties through the Abraham Accords. Flydubai has since operated regular flights between Dubai and Tel Aviv.

Trump: “Incredible Story”

US President Donald Trump commented on the incident aboard the plane from Dubai to Tel Aviv during a press briefing. Trump said he had a lengthy conversation with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the incident.

“I think it’s an incredible story.”

He said that Netanyahu told him what had happened onboard the plane.

I spoke at length with Bibi Netanyahu about this incident, and it appears the co-pilot might have been a terrorist, or perhaps a madman, and he stabbed the pilot.

Trump then recounted Netanyahu’s description of how the situation reportedly developed. An Israeli plumber, who was among the passengers and had no prior experience flying an airplane, allegedly intervened when he heard the commotion from the cockpit.

Captain Smit Machchhar and plumber Yaniv Hayun. Photo: Facsimile X

According to Trump, Yaniv Hayun realized something was wrong after hearing screams and noticing what was happening in the cockpit. However, for security reasons the cockpit door is locked during flight, which made it difficult for passengers to get inside.

Inside the cockpit, the Indian captain Smit Machchhar had been stabbed by his co-pilot, who is from Oman. Despite his injuries, Machchhar managed to open the cockpit door, enabling passengers and crew to intervene and overpower the co-pilot.

During this time, passengers had gathered outside the cockpit after responding to the commotion and the aircraft’s abrupt movements. When the door was opened, Yaniv Hayun and others were able to enter and help take control of the situation.

The plumber is said to have intervened and, together with other passengers, overpowered the knife-wielding assailant. He then took control of the aircraft’s flight stick as the plane was losing altitude rapidly.

“Without ever having flown a plane before, he grabbed the stick, pulled it up, and got the plane to level out before it crashed,” Trump said.

Trump also explained the rumored reason the plumber knew what to do in the situation. According to Trump, the man had watched a lot of the TV show Air Disasters.

The Plumber Speaks Out

The man who entered the bloody cockpit when the door opened was Israeli plumber Yaniv Hayun. On Wednesday, he told media how he and other passengers intervened against the suspected attacker while the plane was quickly losing altitude.

According to Israeli authorities, a pilot attacked co-pilot and Captain Smit Machchhar before taking control of the aircraft. Investigators state the plane then entered a steep dive and suspect the intent may have been to crash it. Theories have also circulated that the aim may have been to crash the plane in Israel, as the incident occurred when the plane was approaching the country.

Hayun recounted that passengers realized something serious had happened when there was a lot of noise from the cockpit, and a woman then shouted “stabbing” as the plane simultaneously began to shake violently.

The plumber and several other passengers entered the cockpit after the captain managed to open the door, and they overpowered the suspected perpetrator – the co-pilot. Hayun states that he put the man in a chokehold and pulled him out of the cockpit.

Hayun then tried to get control of the plane. Despite having no experience flying, he grabbed the aircraft’s yoke and managed to level it out.

“I pulled the yoke up, leveled the plane a little, and then the pilot… I saw two unmanned yokes without any pilots and I’ve seen this TV show and I knew I had to pull.”

Hayun attributes his actions to watching a TV show about air crashes. The program Air Crash Investigation is based on dramatized reconstructions of real incidents and includes interviews with aviation experts and eyewitnesses.

A third pilot, who was on board the aircraft, then took over the flight and steered the plane to Saudi Arabia, where it was able to land safely. Earlier on Wednesday, reports circulated that two additional pilots were on board. The information has been conflicting, but according to the latest reports, one pilot traveled on the flight and intervened in the cockpit.

When Hayun and the other passengers later returned to Israel, they were received by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who called him a “lion.” In photos from their meeting, blood could still be seen on Hayun’s shirt after the incident.