A passenger aboard a Flydubai flight from Israel to Tel Aviv played a crucial role in preventing a potential aviation disaster after the co-pilot attacked the captain mid-flight, officials said. The incident occurred on flight FZ1073, which was carrying over 170 people.

Yaniv Hayun, 50, who was traveling with his wife and two daughters, was among several passengers who intervened after the co-pilot stabbed the captain. According to Hayun, the plane suddenly jolted, and a scream alerted others to the attack. He then rushed to the cockpit, where he found the captain wounded and the plane descending rapidly.

Hayun and three other Israeli passengers subdued the assailant and regained control by pulling up the aircraft’s nose. A second flight crew member aboard, identified by other passengers as a British man named James, subsequently took over the controls and helped land the plane safely in Saudi Arabia.

Speaking after arriving at Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport, Hayun said he was able to stabilize the aircraft thanks to knowledge gained from watching an air crash investigation television series. “I watch Air Crash Investigation, Mr. Prime Minister,” he told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a meeting.

Hayun’s relative, Asaf Chen, said Hayun runs a sewage pumping business, and the passengers used airline earphones to restrain the co-pilot. Israeli bank executive Tzvika Manes was among those who helped tie up the assailant, while Manes’ wife Tali was the first to alert passengers to the situation. Another passenger, Asaf Rajuan, and Dr. Shota Musaev, who treated the captain, assisted in subduing the attacker.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog announced nominations for the Presidential Award for Civilian Heroism for Hayun, Manes, Manes’ wife, Musaev, and Rajuan. Rajuan, reflecting on the ordeal, described the intervention as a natural response to protect loved ones rather than an act of heroism.

The incident ended without loss of life after emergency actions by the passengers and the secondary flight crew, highlighting the critical role civilians can play in crisis situations aboard commercial flights. Authorities are continuing investigations into the circumstances surrounding the co-pilot’s actions.