Israeli plumber who took control of stricken Flydubai flight 'learned to fly from TV show'

Israeli plumber who took control of stricken Flydubai flight 'learned to fly from TV show' Yaniv Hayoun helped thwart the hijacking by storming the cockpit and overpowering an Omani knifeman - before telling Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu he learned to fly from watching Air Crash Investigation on TV The hero Israeli plumber who took control of a Flydubai plane revealed he learned to fly from a TV show. Yaniv Hayoun helped thwart “Israel’s 9/11” after passengers stormed the cockpit and overpowered an Omani knifeman who allegedly stabbed the pilot in a plot to crash the Tel-Aviv-bound flight. Yaniv was welcomed back to Tel Aviv as a hero after it emerged he had grtabbed the controls to pull the plane out of a nosedive. And in a special meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, he said his quick-thinking was inspired by what he had seen on Air Crash Investigation - a TV show on major aviation disasters. When Mr Netanyahu asked how he knew to pull the controls backwards, he replied: “I watch Air Crash Investigations, Mr Prime Minister.” Re-living how he jumped into action when the attack happened 90 minutes into the flight, Yaniv said: “I pushed the door, the pilot who was stabbed was simply very close to the door so it was hard for us to open. We pulled him out – it was a matter of seconds.” He then grabbed the controls to steady the plane which had plunged 17,400 feet in less than two minutes. After regaining control of the plane, an off-duty pilot took the helm to guide it back to Saudi Arabia's Tabuk Airport where the attacker was arrested. Mr Netanyahu praised the hero for his “tremendous resourcefulness”. And speaking from the White House, US President Donald Trump praised Yaniv’s “amazing” actions. It came as the stabbed captain was named as Indian national Smit Machchhar, who suffered serious injuries in the incident. Mr Machchhar has about 15 years of experience flying for commercial airlines and had logged almost 10,000 hours on Boeing 737s, according to his social media. He bravely fought to defend the plane - and the 174 passengers on board - while being attacked with a blade. Despite his wounds, the veteran pilot managed to unlock the door of the cockpit and alert the crew of the ruthless attack. Last year he gave an interview in which he emphasised how air crew would save passengers' lives in the event of an emergency. "If something happens up there [in flight], who will save you? Air crews can save lives," the pilot told a podcast last year in a clip that was shared online. Mr Netanyahu has praised the captain for his “extraordinary bravery.” The Indian embassy in Riyadh said that Mr Machchhar was in a stable condition, recovering from his injuries in hospital in Tabuk, where the plane was forced to make an emergency landing on Wednesday. He said on X: “My salute to the Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar for his extraordinary bravery. Despite being stabbed and seriously injured, he fought back… preventing a catastrophic mid-air disaster. He saved the lives of 174 people, including Israeli citizens and other nationals.” Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon said that there was "no doubt" that the Flydubai pilot was attempting to bring down the plane, calling it a miracle the plane could land. "We have no doubt that it was a terror attack of a radical individual," Danon said. "We know that there was an intention to bring that plane down, and we are grateful," he continued. Mr Netanyahu said the "attacking pilot" is being investigated in Saudi Arabia. He will then likely be taken to the United Arab Emirates, where the plane took off from, according to Mr Netanyahu. “He obviously hated Israelis,” the Israeli prime minister told Fox News, adding that it was too early to say whether Iran was behind the attack. “That is fanaticism and hatred of an incalculable level.” Israel would be following the investigation and “possibly participating” in it, he added. The UAE prosecutor general ordered an investigation into the incident aboard the flight, numbered FZ1073, according to the Emirati state news agency. The investigation will examine the circumstances and motives, including whether it was linked to any terrorist activity or involved prior planning or direction. The country’s judicial authorities would have jurisdiction over the incident because the aircraft was registered in the UAE and flew under its flag, the statement said, adding that UAE law applied to crimes committed on board “even if they occur outside the country’s territory”.