Alex Bystram, executive producer of the TV show "Mayday" (also known as "Air Crash Investigation"), spoke with CBS News about how one of his viewers used knowledge from the series to help stabilize a plane after a co-pilot attacked the captain mid-flight on a FlyDubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv. The incident occurred when the plane was approximately two hours into its journey, and it plummeted over 17,000 feet in just two minutes. Passenger Yaniv Hayun rushed to the cockpit and assisted in restraining the co-pilot before helping another off-duty pilot regain control of the aircraft for an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. Bystram acknowledged that while the show aims to educate viewers about aviation safety, he did not anticipate someone would apply its lessons during a real crisis.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-02,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
On October 3, 2026, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu invited Captain Smit Machchhar, an Indian pilot from a flydubai flight bound for Tel Aviv that was attacked mid-air by the co-pilot, to Israel as a guest of honor. The incident occurred on September 27, 2026, when Captain Machchhar was stabbed by his co-pilot with an axe during a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv, forcing the plane to make an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. Despite being seriously injured, Captain Machchhar managed to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers and crew to subdue the attacker.
In recognition of his bravery, Netanyahu called him "a true hero" of both India and Israel during a video call released by his office, extending an invitation for him to light a flame at Israel’s Independence Day ceremony next May. The co-pilot, identified as an Omani national, was arrested in Saudi Arabia after the incident.
The attack led to significant security responses from Israeli authorities, with fighter jets being scrambled due to potential hijacking concerns. Captain Machchhar is currently recovering steadily in Abu Dhabi and has been praised by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his courage and resolve in saving 174 lives on board.
Written for “Indian Pilot Hailed Hero After Attack” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 303 other(s) covering the same event.
Alex Bystram, the executive producer of "Mayday," was discussing a future episode with co-workers when he learned that one of his show's viewers was a
on the and used what he saw in the series to help stabilize the plane.
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he → discuss → plane
"If, incidentally, someone picked up a tip about something they saw in the cockpit and it worked and it had the right effect, then that's a fantastic byproduct," Bystram told CBS News on Thursday.
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Bystram → pick → Thursday
The passenger, Yaniv Hayun, told met him at the airport, that he knew what to do because of the show.
, whoIsraeli officials said the FlyDubai plane was about two hours into its flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv when the co-pilot stabbed the captain.
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pilot → meet → captain
Hayun said that amid the commotion at the front of the plane, he "ran toward the cockpit," then the aircraft "went into a very sharp nose-down dive."
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aircraft → say → dive
CBS News' partner network BBC News said flight tracking data showed the aircraft plummeted more than 17,000 feet in two minutes.
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aircraft → say → minutes
Israeli officials and passengers said the captain, an Indian national, was able to fight off his co-pilot and unlock the cockpit door.
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captain → say → door
Witnesses said a group of passengers and crew members then stormed the cockpit and subdued the co-pilot.
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group → say → pilot
After helping to restrain the
, Hayun said that he "started pulling back on the controls" of the plane, telling Netanyahu, "I watch 'Air Crash Investigation,' Mr. Prime Minister."
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I → help → Minister
("Mayday" is also known as "Air Crash Investigation.")After doing so
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Mayday → know → Investigation
, Hayun said, "the plane started to level out a little," and then another pilot on board took control.
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pilot → say → control
Two off-duty pilots who were on the flight managed to gain control of the aircraft and make an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
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who → manage → Tabuk
Netanyahu hailed Hayun as a hero, telling him, "This is the honor.
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This → hail → him
No passengers were seriously injured in the incident.
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passengers → injure → incident
The pilot sustained stab wounds in the attack.
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pilot → sustain → attack
Saudi authorities said two crew members were hospitalized with unspecified injuries, and the co-pilot remained in custody on Thursday.
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pilot → say → Thursday
The co-pilot's motive in the alleged attack remains unknown.
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motive → allege → attack
"The heart of this show is lessons about aviation safety, so if in some minuscule way we increase the safety of the passengers on this flight, well, that's just terrific," Bystram said.
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Bystram → increase → flight
The Canadian series, which examines some of the world's worst air disasters based on real reports, has been running for more than two decades and has produced over 200 episodes.
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which → examine → episodes
The show's simulations are realistic, according to Bystram, but he did not expect someone to use what they saw in an episode in a real-life scenario.
uncertain
they → accord → scenario
"We have actual commercial pilots who fly the type of plane involved telling the actors what to do, telling the actors how to handle the controls, telling the actors what to keep their hands on and what to keep their hands off," he said.
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he → have → hands
"So, I'm not surprised that he got some accurate information based on watching the show."
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he → get → show
When asked if Bystram plans to produce an episode based on the FlyDubai incident, he said, "If there are valuable lessons about aviation safety to be learned from this episode, then absolutely we'll do it."
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we → ask → it
"But we're not just going to do it because it's salacious or dramatic," he said.
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he → go → it
"It has to have a good, solid lesson or a good, solid impact on aviation safety."
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It → have → safety
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