Netanyahu says FlyDubai passenger who took controls said "I, I watched these air disaster films"
“I asked him, how did you know how to do that? And he said, ‘Well, I, I watched these air disaster films,’”
Reported October 2, 2026 by deccanchronicle.com. Checked word for word against that report.
After a copilot attacked the captain on a FlyDubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv, passengers including Israeli plumber Yaniv Hayoun helped restrain him and take the controls as the plane dived, according to accounts, and the aircraft made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia with all 182 people aboard surviving. In Tel Aviv late Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu embraced Hayoun and posted a five-star endorsement of his plumbing services on X. Netanyahu told Fox News on Thursday that Hayoun attributed his untrained handling of the aircraft to cinema. Hayoun is among Israelis recommended for a civilian heroism award. Investigators are still examining the attack, the copilot has not been publicly identified, and India’s embassy said the wounded captain was recovering well.
- deccanchronicle.com ↗︎02 OCT 2026