Six-year-old Nina Manes and her mother, Tali, reportedly heard a commotion outside the cockpit of Flydubai flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv. Her family and other passengers subsequently helped subdue the co-pilot after he allegedly attacked Indian captain Smit Machchhar.
A six-year-old girl, Nina Manes, and her mother, Tali, are being credited with helping alert passengers during a mid-air emergency aboard a Flydubai flight travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv.
Flydubai flight FZ1073 was carrying 174 passengers when an Omani co-pilot allegedly stabbed the Indian captain, Capt. Smit Machchhar, in what authorities described as an apparent attempt to crash the Boeing 737 MAX 8.
According to the account of the incident, Nina had asked her mother to take her to the forward restroom. While standing outside, the two heard a commotion and screams coming from inside the cockpit. Tali described seeing “blood all over the cockpit" and witnessing intense fighting moves.
After hearing his daughter's screams and realising that an emergency was unfolding, Nina's father, Tzvika Manes, the CEO of Bank Leumi's underwriting division, and two other passengers rushed forward to enter the cockpit and subdue the attacker.
The severely injured captain managed to unlock the cockpit door, allowing a group of passengers to enter, overpower the co-pilot and restrain him. The passengers also helped stabilise the situation after the aircraft had plunged thousands of feet.
An off-duty pilot travelling on the flight subsequently helped fly the aircraft to a safe emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and defence officials have since praised the bravery of the captain and passengers, crediting their actions with preventing a potential mass-casualty disaster.
PM Modi speaks to injured Indian pilot
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday spoke to Captain Smit Machchaar, the Indian pilot who was seriously injured after being attacked by his co-pilot aboard the Dubai-Tel Aviv-bound Flydubai flight.
During the conversation, Machchaar shared details of his experience during the incident and spoke about what gave him the courage to act during the emergency.
The prime minister praised the pilot's bravery and wished him a speedy recovery.
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Anjali Thakur
Anjali Thakur is a Senior Assistant Editor with Mint, reporting on trending news, entertainment and health, with a focus on stories driving digital conversations. Her work involves spotting early signals across news cycles and social media, sharpening stories for SEO and Google Discover, and mentoring young editors in digital-first newsroom practices. She is known for turning fast-moving developments—whether news-driven or culture-led—into clear, tightly edited journalism without compromising editorial rigour.<br><br> Before joining Mint, she was Deputy News Editor at NDTV.com, where she led the Trending section and covered viral news, breaking developments and human-interest stories. She has also worked as Chief Sub-Editor at India.com (Zee Media) and as Senior Correspondent with Exchange4media and Hindustan Times’ HT City, reporting on media, advertising, entertainment, health, lifestyle and popular culture.<br><br> Anjali holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Miranda House, and is currently pursuing an MBA, strengthening her understanding of business strategy and digital media economics. Her writing balances newsroom discipline with a clear instinct for what resonates with readers.