'I Watch Mayday, Mr Prime Minister': TV Show Helped Flydubai Hero Passenger Yaniv Hayun Take Control Of Flight In Cockpit Crisis

Years of watching aircraft disaster investigations on television unexpectedly became useful for Israeli passenger Yaniv Hayoun when Flydubai Flight FZ1073 plunged during a mid-air cockpit attack.

Hayoun, who helped overpower the alleged attacker, later told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he knew how to react to the aircraft’s controls because of the Canadian aviation documentary series Mayday, also known as Air Crash Investigation.

The Dubai-to-Tel Aviv flight was diverted to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday after one pilot was reportedly attacked by the other. During the chaos, Hayoun and another passenger forced their way into the cockpit and found the injured pilot near the door while the alleged attacker was at the controls.

“When I went in, I saw the terrorist on the controls, between the two seats. There were no pilots in the seats,” Hayoun told Netanyahu.

Passenger pulled back controls as plane plunged

Hayoun said he grabbed the alleged attacker, put him in a hold and pulled him away from the controls. Other passengers then helped restrain him.

With the aircraft still descending sharply, Hayoun rushed back into the cockpit and grabbed the controls.

“I jumped back in there, grabbed the controls, started pulling the controls,” he recalled.

Netanyahu then asked how he knew what to do. Hayoun’s answer highlighted the unusual role television played in the emergency.

“I watch Mayday, Mr Prime Minister — really!”

Hayoun said the aircraft began to level out before another pilot took over.

The plane later landed safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, before passengers continued to Israel on a rescue flight. Hayoun also told Netanyahu that the alleged attacker appeared to be trying to interfere with or damage the aircraft’s controls.

The circumstances and motive behind the cockpit incident remain under investigation.

Published on: Thursday, October 01, 2026, 01:10 PM IST