What happened
A heroic act by a passenger, Yaniv Hion, helped prevent a potential disaster on Flydubai Flight FZ1073 headed for Israel. The Omani co-pilot had attempted to hijack the plane and crash it, but Hion and other passengers intervened, subduing the co-pilot and taking control of the plane.
Hion, a flight instructor, described the harrowing experience to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, explaining how he and another passenger pushed open the cockpit door, which was difficult to open due to the injured pilot. Hion then grabbed the attacker, put him in a chokehold, and pulled him out of the cockpit.
With the plane's nose pointing downwards, Hion called for help from other Israeli passengers, who assisted in holding down the attacker. Hion then jumped back into the cockpit, grabbed the controls, and started pulling back on them, leveling out the plane. The pilot eventually took control, and the plane was flown safely to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
Netanyahu hailed Hion as a hero, thanking him for his quick actions that saved dozens of lives and prevented a potential 9/11-style attack on Israel. Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett also praised the heroes who helped avert disaster, attributing their actions to heroism rather than a miracle.
