Five-year-old Nina Manes needed the bathroom on Flydubai Flight 1073 when her mother heard shouts from the cockpit. Tali Manes pulled a backup pilot to investigate, revealing the first officer stabbing the captain repeatedly. Four Israeli passengers—Yaniv Hayoun, Asaf Rajuan, Tzvika Manes, and Shota Musaev—raced unarmed to overpower the attacker, give first aid, and enable a backup pilot to land safely in Saudi Arabia.
Captain Smit Machchhar unlocked the cockpit door while fighting for his life, allowing passengers to save all 182 souls on board. The incident recalled Oct. 7, 2023 and 9/11 for some passengers, propelling them to act without hesitation. Nearly all aboard were Israelis returning home from Asia or Africa to a nation at war.
Tali Manes’s screams served as the alarm that spurred ordinary passengers into action. The article is based on interviews with over a dozen passengers and accounts given to Israeli television and Captain Machchhar’s report to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Source: New York Times Top Stories · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing