Israeli citizens Dr Shota Musayev, Yaniv Hayoun, Tzvika Manes, and Asaf Rejwan were identified as the fliers who helped the flydubai crew overpower the co-pilot who allegedly tried to crash the flight after stabbing his captain. Hailing their valour and presence of mind inside the nosediving aircraft, Israeli President Isaac Herzog said that he will recommend all four of them for the President's Medal for Civilian Heroism.
While a thorough investigation is still going on, the four passengers have spoken to the Israeli media, elaborating on how the cockpit emergency unfolded. They said it took them close to an hour to reclaim control of the flight completely after overpowering the Omani co-pilot, who was looking to damage the flight controls after having stabbed Smit Machchhar.
The men who stepped up
Tzvika Manes told Israel's Channel 12 in an interview that his young daughter wanted to use the lavatory mid-flight. Since the one at the front was closer to their seats, his wife accompanied their child there and happened to hear a commotion inside the cockpit. While his wife was uncertain about what was going on, she immediately notified the cabin crew.
At this point, Smit Machchhar fell out of the cockpit door after being stabbed by the co-pilot. As Manes tried to move his daughter away from the contested space, Yaniv Hayoun quickly engaged the attacker, who was focused on destroying the controls while standing between the two seats. Hayoun told the Israeli media he put him in a hold to stop him from causing more damage before trying to drag him out of the cockpit.
Meanwhile, Asaf Rejwan, who was coming back from a family vacation in Thailand, also joined the effort to fight the attacker. He was injured in the physical face-off with the Omani co-pilot, whose identity remains undisclosed.
Having watched a Canadian documentary that dealt with a similar theme, Hayoun knew he couldn't let the aircraft lose altitude and quickly took over the yoke to stabilise the flight. He also shouted at his fellow passengers to join the effort to subdue the attacker.
With his daughter and wife at a safe distance, Manes also joined the fight in the hope of outnumbering the man. According to reports, the three men fought the attacker for no less than 20 to 25 minutes before they could restrain him with corded headphones.
As the off-duty pilots tried to take over the flight, Dr Shota Musayev further ensured the co-pilot could not cut himself free by restraining him further and provided first aid to the badly injured Smit Machchhar. The dentist's intervention is said to have played a crucial role in saving the Indian pilot's life.
Though the investigation is only ongoing, it has become apparent that a chain of miracles, alongside the admirable heroism of the Indian pilot Smit Machchhar and the passengers who showed resourcefulness, prevented the terrible disaster.
