A FlyDubai passenger whose flight plunged thousands of feet during an attack in the cockpit spoke about his experience on Thursday.
Almog Italie shared his story and said it was a “miracle” he and his family survived.
Video above: Co-pilot of an Israel-bound Flydubai flight tried to hijack the plane after stabbing the captain
Italie, his wife and two teenage children were returning home from a family trip when the plane dropped about 17,000 feet in seconds, he said.
“We were looking down, and suddenly we felt like [we were] free falling for 30 seconds, like a roller coaster, but way, way, way, way faster,” Italie said.
The plane jolted upward before stabilizing.
Italie initially thought the crew was dealing with a technical problem. He said he only realized there was an attack after passengers were told that one pilot had stabbed the other.
Several passengers intervened and subdued the attacker before the plane landed safely in Saudi Arabia, Italie said.
“If we continued dropping for 10 or 15 seconds, I wouldn’t be here,” he said. “So I feel very, very lucky. It’s a miracle.”
Italie said his wife told him she had held God’s hand and prayed to remain alive after the plane landed. He said he wanted his story to be about survival and faith.
“You don’t believe it will happen, but when it does happen, you don’t think about losing life,” Italie said. “You think about how to save life.”
Video below: Brother of FlyDubai passenger speaks about flight where captain was stabbed
In the weeks since the alleged hijacking, Italie has been traveling across the world to speak about what he saw on Flight FZ1073.
Italie said recounting those moments has proven to be a healing experience as he learns to cope with what he and others on the plane endured.
