A group of passengers who recently thwarted a potential air disaster have reunited for the first time since the mid-air struggle on FlyDubai Flight 1073. Daniel Schlichter, Zvika Manes, Tal Samuel, and Asaf Rajuan, who found themselves thrust into a fight for survival this past Wednesday, are now reflecting on the minute-long freefall that nearly cost them their lives. According to that minute is probably the longest minute of my life,”, Schlichter about the plane’s terrifying freefall. “And the first thing that went up is actually 9/11. How can we end this life like that. You see all your life and you think about what is important. And just holding my wife’s hand and saying, ‘If we have to go, we have to go. She was shouting like animal,” he said. According to at that moment, Rajuan, They thought they were going to die.
The incident occurred when the co-pilot, identified as Hamam al Hamami from Oman, allegedly stabbed the captain, Smit Machchhar, and seized control of the Boeing 737 Max. The aircraft, carrying many Israeli passengers, plummeted 14,000 feet toward the Arabian Desert at near-sonic speeds. According to investigators, al Hamami had been previously banned from aviation duties in Oman due to extremist ideology, and social media activity suggested he harbored anti-Jewish sentiment. UAE authorities have formally categorized the event as a terrorist act.
Inside the locked cockpit, Captain Machchhar fought to regain control after being struck. He told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he eventually managed to reach the door and alert passengers, who were waiting to intervene. Manes, whose daughter alerted him to the stabbing, described the intense G-forces as the plane nosedived, likening the experience to a high-speed roller coaster. And suddenly there was a big blow to the back of my head,” Machchhar said. “I did try to stop him, and that’s when I gave everything that I had, and just went for the door and opened the door and thankfully people were waiting.
Passengers reacted instinctively, with several men charging the cockpit. Manes described entering a primal state, motivated by the need to save his family. Tal Samuel noted that despite the passengers’ ordinary backgrounds, they acted like lions, focused solely on stopping the intruder. Joining them was an Israeli plumber named Yaniv Hayoun, who helped confront the co-pilot while the aircraft was less than 30 seconds from impact.
The hijack attempt ended when two off-duty pilots, who were among the passengers, intervened to stabilize the jet, while other travelers subdued al Hamami. Despite the success of the passengers’ counter-attack, the captain was left in critical condition from his injuries. Dentist Shota Musaev, a passenger on the flight, stepped in to provide urgent medical care to the wounded captain.
Faced with a rapidly worsening situation, the group diverted the flight to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. Passengers initially feared they might be arrested upon arrival due to the presence of blood throughout the cabin and the lack of diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel. However, the flight crew and passengers were met with assistance rather than hostility.
Captain Machchhar is currently recovering in a hospital, where Dr. Musaev has continued to visit him. Reflecting on the ordeal, Musaev emphasized the mutual dependence between the crew and the passengers, stating that the group would not be alive today had the captain not fought back, and conversely, the captain’s survival relied on the passengers’ intervention. Schlichter, recalling the terror of the descent, summarized the collective resolve of those on board: they had collectively decided that they would survive the incident together.
