Mother Recounts Terror on Hijacked Flydubai Flight, Urging Daughters to Pray

A mother traveling with her four young daughters on a flydubai flight described the harrowing experience of a suspected terrorist hijacking, recounting her plea for a miracle and urging her children to pray. Lital Hirschl-Shahar was aboard flydubai Flight 1073, en route to Israel, when chaos erupted in the cabin.

"It all happened so fast, and the plane just started dropping down," Hirschl-Shahar told The Post. "It was so scary and crazy… We all thought we were going to die."

Hirschl-Shahar, who was returning from a vacation with her daughters, aged 14, 11, 7, and 5, said she instructed her children to pray for divine intervention. "I was talking to God nonstop, believing prayer was the only thing that could save us. I told my daughters to pray, too. We needed a miracle, and I couldn’t help but think, ‘Is this how you’re going to die? Is this how your girls are going to die?’ "

The incident involved co-pilot Hamam al-Hammami, identified as a former Oman Air Senior First Officer. He allegedly attacked the captain, Smit Machchhar, who is an Indian national. Passengers reported hearing yelling and seeing blood in the cockpit.

Captain Machchhar, despite sustaining multiple stab wounds, managed to fight off al-Hammami long enough to open the cockpit door. This action alerted the passengers and crew to the crisis. A lady in business class was heard shouting in terror, an experience Hirschl-Shahar described as unforgettable.

Plumber Yaniv Hayun, a passenger seated behind Hirschl-Shahar and her daughters, was among those who sprang into action. He and other passengers worked to restrain al-Hammami, who was reportedly attempting to disable the plane's controls.

During the struggle, the aircraft plummeted approximately 18,000 feet within 12 minutes, causing significant damage to its rudder. Hayun, drawing on knowledge from a documentary series about aviation disasters, played a role in stabilizing the flight. Two off-duty pilots on board assisted in bringing the plane down for an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia.

"It was just a miracle wrapped in a miracle wrapped in a miracle," Hirschl-Shahar said of the successful landing.

The family is now recovering from the ordeal. Hirschl-Shahar's 7-year-old daughter developed a fever due to the stress. Hirschl-Shahar has also faced online comments suggesting the hijacking was staged, which she refutes, emphasizing the genuine terror experienced by herself and the 173 other passengers.