Former President Donald Trump recounted a recent aviation incident involving a Flydubai Boeing (NYSE: BA) 737 Max 8, stating that an Israeli passenger intervened to save the aircraft after a violent altercation in the cockpit.
Trump said he discussed the event with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. According to the president, an Israeli plumber named Yaniv Hayun heard screaming from the cockpit and took control of the aircraft's controls.
“He took the stick, lifted it up and leveled out the plane before it crashed,” Trump said. The president noted that Netanyahu told him the passenger had never flown a plane but learned how to fly by watching the Canadian documentary television program “Air Disasters,” also known as “Mayday.”
The incident involved Flydubai Flight FZ1073, which was traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv. Israeli officials stated that the co-pilot stabbed Captain Smit Machchhar, an Indian national, in what was described as an apparent attempt to bring down the aircraft.
Flight-tracking data indicated the Boeing 737 Max 8 dropped from approximately 33,000 feet to 17,000 feet in roughly one minute before making an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. Flydubai described the event as an “altercation in the cockpit” and confirmed that crew members diverted and landed the plane safely.
Netanyahu separately praised Captain Machchhar, calling him a “true hero” for fighting back, opening the cockpit door, and allowing passengers and crew to overpower the attacker. The co-pilot was reportedly arrested and questioned by Saudi authorities, though authorities have not established his identity or motive.
