Passengers aboard hijacked FlyDubai flight FZ1073 fought the alleged attacker, saved the stabbed captain, and regained control of the plummeting aircraft, saving more than 170 lives.
The flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv descended "like a rollercoaster" two and a half hours after take-off on Wednesday, after the co-pilot allegedly stabbed Indian captain Smit Machchhar at 34,000ft in an attempted hijacking.
Initial findings from Saudi officials investigating the incident show the co-pilot "assaulted the captain". US President Donald Trump has stated he believes Iran may be connected to the co-pilot, a possibility which a senior Israeli official has confirmed has so far been ruled out.
Six-year-old's brave signal
Six-year-old Nina Manes asked her mother Tali to accompany her to the bathroom at the precise moment the co-pilot allegedly stabbed Captain Machchhar. Tali heard alarming sounds from the cockpit and later told Israeli Channel 12: "There was blood all over the cockpit and very, very sharp fighting moves."
"I screamed, 'He is stabbing the pilot, he is stabbing the pilot, come help!' People looked at me and didn't understand."
Nina's father, Tzvika, ran to grab Nina from the bathroom. He remembered: "The shrieks of my daughters when the plane nosedived [are still with me]. They said, 'Dad, we don't want to die.' [Their cries] were the triggers that caused me to run inside the cockpit."
Tzvika and two other passengers rushed inside the cockpit, where they were able to neutralise the suspect, but not without a struggle.
Fearless dentist and quick-thinking pilot
Georgian Jewish dentist Dr Shota Musaev was among those who bolted into the cockpit, where the alleged attacker begged the group to 'kill' him after being pinned down. Dr Musaev told the Daily Mail that he and three other men "grabbed the attacker by the neck" and pulled him from the cockpit, binding him with headphone cords and plastic zip-ties.
The group then attended to the injured Captain Machchhar, who was "losing a lot of blood" and begged, "Save me. I don't want to die here." Dr Musaev said: "His arm was badly slashed, as was his neck, and he had a very deep wound at the back of his head. Everything in the cockpit was covered in blood, but he was conscious. We were effectively left without first-aid supplies. Somehow, we managed to stop the bleeding with pieces of cloth."
Captain Machchhar survived his ordeal, having been airlifted from a hospital in the Saudi Arabian city of Tabuk to Abu Dhabi, where he remains in a stable condition. He told Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi via video call: "I was lying on the floor injured, but I told myself to go for one last push to open the door from inside. Others came in and also played a role [in controlling the situation]. I was, of course, fighting for my own life, but at the same time I knew I was not going to let others die."
Mr Modi hailed Captain Machchhar as a hero in a post shared on X, writing: "In the face of the gravest danger and despite being seriously injured, he showed immense courage and an unwavering resolve to protect the lives of others. His valour helped save hundreds of lives and avert a great tragedy." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: "My salute to the Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar for his extraordinary bravery. Despite being stabbed and seriously injured, he fought back… preventing a catastrophic mid-air disaster. He saved the lives of 174 people, including Israeli citizens and other nationals."
Plucky plumber in cockpit
Plumber Yaniv Hayoun was among those who rushed to defend fellow passengers and reportedly regained control of the craft thanks to his love of the aviation TV show, Aircraft Investigations. Speaking with Prime Minister Netanyahu, who greeted him with a hug at Tel Aviv airport, Yaniv explained: "I pushed the door; the pilot who was stabbed was simply very close to the door, so it was hard for us to open. We pulled him out – it was a matter of seconds."
"We pinned him down to keep him secure, and then I jumped into it (the cockpit) and pulled the controls." An off-duty pilot then advised Yaniv that he could take control from there. The plane dropped by more than 17,000ft (5,200m) before the group managed to get back on course. When asked by Mr Netanyahu how he knew what to do with the controls, which included pulling in a backwards motion, Yaniv replied: "I watch Air Crash Investigations, Mr Prime Minister."
