Flydubai passenger describes hugging his children as plane nosedived during attack
A passenger on a Flydubai flight recounted a mid-air struggle after a pilot was stabbed by a colleague, causing the plane to nosedive. Passengers and crew successfully subdued the attacker, and the flight landed safely.
Why it matters
This incident highlights significant aviation security concerns and the critical role of crew and passenger intervention in emergency situations.
Adam Polovincik on the Flydubai flight/Adam Polovincik
A man has described how he hugged and reassured his two young children as their plane suddenly descended after one pilot stabbed the other in an attempt to seize control of the flight.
A Flydubai plane plunged more than 17,000ft (5,200m) in less than two minutes around two hours into its journey from Dubai to Tel Aviv on Wednesday, before passengers and crew overpowered him and retook control to land safely.
Adam Polovincik told BBC Newshour that he hugged his six-year-old son and three-year-old daughter "really hard" and tried to stay calm for them as the attack unfolded.
He praised the pilot who was stabbed and passengers who fought off and subdued the attacker, saying they were "true heroes".
The stabbed pilot is in a stable condition in hospital, while the alleged attacker has been arrested.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in