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Mystery Pilots Hailed as Heroes After Preventing FlyDubai Plane Crash
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News18•04-10-2026, 06:00
Mystery Pilots Hailed as Heroes After Preventing FlyDubai Plane Crash
- •Two unidentified off-duty FlyDubai pilots stabilized a plummeting Israel-bound plane after a violent incident in the cockpit.
- •The incident involved the co-pilot attacking the captain, leading to a struggle and the captain unlocking the cockpit door.
- •A passenger described one of the traveling pilots quickly entering the cockpit and taking control, followed by the second pilot.
- •The 'deadheading' pilots, who were on board to fly the plane back to Dubai, are credited with saving 182 lives.
- •After stabilizing the plane, the pilots made a mayday call and landed safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, despite initial passenger concerns.
Key Questions Answered
The two additional pilots were on board as part of a practice called deadheading, meaning they were traveling to bring the plane back from Tel Aviv to Dubai.
One of the traveling pilots hurdled over the passengers subduing the copilot to enter the cockpit and seize the controls, quickly followed by the second pilot before they closed the door.
After about 45 minutes and stabilizing the aircraft following an extreme descent, the pilots announced they would land in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
