Almog Italie was returning home to Israel after a vacation in Japan when he found himself on board Flydubai flight FZ1073, which was heading from Dubai to Ben-Gurion Airport. The flight took off from Dubai International Airport at 03:05 GMT and, around two hours into the journey, plunged more than 17,000 feet. As passengers and crew rushed to the cockpit and intervened in the unfolding crisis, they eventually managed to overpower the co-pilot and regain control of the aircraft, which landed safely in Saudi Arabia before continuing to Tel Aviv. We spoke to Almog about what he witnessed on board, how passengers responded in those terrifying moments, and what happened after the aircraft was diverted.
