WASHINGTON / TEL AVIV — U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have shared extraordinary details following the harrowing incident aboard a Flydubai flight bound for Israel, identifying an Israeli plumber as a key figure who helped pull the aircraft out of a fatal dive.
Speaking from the Oval Office following a lengthy telephone briefing with Prime Minister Netanyahu, President Trump recounted how the passenger—identified as Israeli plumber Yaniv Hayun—acted decisively after a co-pilot stabbed the captain and attempted to crash the aircraft. As the plane plunged thousands of feet at extreme speeds, Hayun joined cabin crew members in overpowering the attacker.
According to accounts from both leaders and the passenger himself, Hayun helped pull the rogue pilot out of the seat before seizing the control stick (yoke). Having no official pilot training, Hayun stated he relied on knowledge gained from watching the television series Air Disasters to pull back on the stick and level out the plunging aircraft until off-duty pilots and crew could take control.
The Boeing 737 aircraft subsequently executed a successful emergency landing at Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia. Saudi authorities immediately arrested the suspect, and an investigation into the attack remains ongoing. All 174 passengers and crew survived.
