Stories
Mystery Pilots Hailed as Heroes for Preventing FlyDubai Plane Crash
- •Two off-duty FlyDubai pilots, traveling as passengers, intervened to stabilize an Israel-bound flight after a violent incident in the cockpit.
- •The incident involved the co-pilot attacking the captain, leading to a "sickening plummet" of the aircraft carrying 182 people.
- •A passenger, Daniel Schlichter, described one of the traveling pilots "jumping above the guys that were handling the terrorist" to take control of the plane.
- •The mystery pilots, whose identities remain unconfirmed by FlyDubai, managed to stabilize the plane after a 10-minute struggle, despite initial passenger fears of a hijacking.
- •The flight made an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, after the heroic actions of the two unidentified pilots.
Key Questions Answered
The mystery men were two on-duty crew members traveling on the plane as part of a practice called deadheading, intended to bring the aircraft back from Tel Aviv to Dubai. Although FlyDubai has not publicly identified them, a passenger recounted that they rushed to seize the controls and stabilize the aircraft after an attack unfolded in the cockpit.
After the on-duty pilots took over the cockpit controls and stabilized the aircraft following an extreme descent, the flight ultimately landed in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, about 45 minutes later.
The extra pilots were on board because they were scheduled to fly the plane back from Tel Aviv to Dubai, a routine practice known as deadheading. Their presence on the flight proved critical when they stepped in to take over the controls after a violent altercation inside the cockpit.
