The FlyDubai Miracle

The enormity of the miracle that happened on September 30, 2026 cannot even yet be put into words. The passengers on the flydubai flight on Wednesday described the terrifying moment when their plane plunged 17,000 feet in under two minutes. No one knew that there was a terrorist co-pilot, an Omani national, in the cockpit who had stabbed the pilot and was attempting to crash the plane into the ground.

Miraculously, using the last of his energy after he was stabbed, the critically injured pilot was able to unlock the cockpit door before he collapsed. A crew member managed to throw the terrorist out of the cockpit and three Israeli passengers, Yaniv Hayoun, Zvika Manes, and Asaf Rajuan, managed to subdue him, using the wires from the plane’s media headphones to tie his hands.

 Captain Smit Machchhar, the heroic pilot

One of the Israeli passengers, a plumber whose knowledge of flying comes only from watching a show about aviation disasters, was later interviewed with his shirt covered in blood as he recounted running into the cockpit and pulling back on the controls of the plane to take it out of its rapid descent.

The miracle continued with the discovery of two off-duty pilots who were among the passengers on that plane. Despite a piece of the plane’s tail being torn off from its horrifying plunge, one of the pilots was able to land the plane safely in Saudi Arabia. Dr. Shota Musayev, a passenger, provided life-saving medical treatment to the seriously injured pilot. From there, the passengers from the flydubai flight, which included 30 children, boarded a new plane that landed safely in Tel Aviv.

 Yaniv Hayoun on the plane

The frightening videos taken during the FlyDubai’s flight plunge and in the aftermath of the attempted hijacking reveal not just an averted tragedy, but an incredibly strong nation that, again and again, emerges from near death with unity and song. Who is like the Jewish nation? Who else would have jumped within seconds from their seats and rushed into the cockpit to try to fly a plane and tackle a terrorist-pilot with a knife?

Who else would say to their children, over and over again during the rapid plunge through the air: Nothing happened, Don’t be afraid. Nothing happened. Everything is okay.

These are the words you can hear a father saying to his children in this video as the plane shakes and descends towards the ground. When I heard these words in the video, tears came to my eyes because they echo what God tells the Jewish people during this week of Sukkot, a time of joy and faith and shelter from the world. With these incredible miracles during a flight that was milliseconds away from tragedy, God is telling all of us, His children: I’m here. Nothing happened. Everything is okay. I’m here. I will be your shelter. I will comfort you when you are falling, and I will catch you when you think there is no hope. Nothing happened.

Listen to the grateful, hope-filled singing of the Jewish passengers singing Am Yisrael Chai when they landed in Saudi Arabia:

And here are the Jewish people singing “We will not fear” as they finally land in Tel Aviv.

You can hear the echo of that singing across the world as the Jewish people exhale as one: What a miracle. Thank God. There is no more inspiring prelude to Simchat Torah than these tears of joy that were cried at Ben Gurion airport when relatives went to greet their families landing from this miraculous flight.

On Simchat Torah we will sing: Hoshea et amecha (save your nation) barech et nachaltecha (bless your inheritance). In the wake of this incredible miracle, let us all lift up our voices together as we thank God not only for saving us from a terrifying terrorist attack but for letting the inspiring strength and beauty of the Jewish people light up the world once again.