Passenger recounts gripping moment when Flydubai jet plunged after cockpit stabbing
A Home Based Care Nurse tells how she hugged her children tightly as a Flydubai flight nosedived following a cockpit attack en route to Tel Aviv
A handful of Israeli families travelling together were returning home after a joyful holiday in Southeast Asia when a shocking act erupted aboard their low‑cost carrier. About two hours into the journey from Dubai to Tel Aviv, one of the pilots was stabbed by a fellow passenger who tried to wrest the controls of the aircraft. The assault sent the plane diving more than five thousand metres in under two minutes, a plunge that left many on board terrified. Adam Polovincik, a 40‑year‑old performance marketing analyst, was seated in aisle thirteen with his wife and their two young children, a six‑year‑old boy and a three‑year‑old girl. He said he wrapped them in a tight embrace and tried to speak in a steady voice, insisting that everything would be alright while the aircraft plummeted. Passengers and crew managed to subdue the attacker after about fifteen minutes, and the remaining pilots took over the flight to bring the machine safely to the ground. The victimised pilot was taken to hospital but is now listed as stable, while the alleged assailant was arrested in Saudi Arabia and will be transferred to the United Arab Emirates for further questioning. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned that it is still too early to link the incident to Iran, though he noted that the attacker appears to have been radicalised. After the aircraft was diverted to a Saudi airport, the Israeli passengers were fed, given water and even sweets for the children, a gesture that highlighted an unexpected diplomatic courtesy between the two nations. They later continued to Tel Aviv, where they were greeted at the terminal by crowds of well‑wishers waving flags and singing. The episode underscores how quickly a routine commercial flight can turn into a life‑threatening crisis, and how ordinary people can rise to protect one another when danger strikes. The next step in the investigation will be a court process that could reveal deeper motives behind the assault.
