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The incident occurred as the Dubai-to-Tel Aviv flight approached the Jordanian border with flight tracking information showing the aircraft fell more than 17000 feet in under two minutes. Several passengers including Israelis rushed to the cockpit after hearing screams and helped restrain the co-pilot while off-duty pilots who were aboard took control to stabilise the Boeing 737. The captain was injured in the alleged stabbing but all 170 people on board survived the ordeal with the plane diverted for an emergency landing.
One passenger on the plummeting Israel flight like ‘rollercoaster’ says passenger in the BBC report while Almog Italie told AFP the sensation was like severe turbulence without any actual bumps in the air. Mika Bauman described to CNN that the plane dropped completely and started spinning prompting screams and children crying as she accepted she might die. Miriam Ohayon recounted to Israeli media that she recited the Shema prayer while embracing her family during the uncontrolled descent.
Yaniv Hayoun identified across Israeli outlets as a key figure in the response put the attacker in a chokehold before grabbing the controls himself according to an exchange with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Hayoun told Netanyahu he knew what to do because he watches the television programme Air Crash Investigation a detail reported by the Times of India. He called on fellow Israeli passengers for assistance and together they pinned down the co-pilot until the situation was brought under control.
The jet landed safely in Saudi Arabia where the co-pilot was arrested and the wounded pilot received medical attention as confirmed by multiple regional news services. Videos from inside the cabin showed blood on the floor and passengers covered in it after overhead bins flew open during the plunge. No passengers suffered serious injuries despite the panic that gripped the cabin for several minutes.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the quick actions of those on board in preventing what officials described as a potential suicide attack on the plane according to coverage by ABC News and The New York Times. The event took place against a backdrop of heightened regional tensions though Saudi authorities have begun interrogating the suspect. Passenger accounts have varied in their level of detail but consistently highlight the terror of believing the aircraft was about to crash.
Data compiled by Flightradar24 has provided an independent timeline that aligns with the eyewitness reports of the sudden loss of altitude. FlyDubai has confirmed the safe outcome for all aboard but has yet to release a full operational review of how the cockpit breach occurred. Aviation safety bodies are expected to examine the sequence of events to assess whether additional cockpit security protocols could prevent similar incidents in the future.
