Israeli Teenager Films Terrifying Moments Aboard Disturbed Flydubai Flight
A 17-year-old Israeli teenager aboard a chaotic Flydubai flight filmed terrifying moments of a suspected hijacking attempt, trying to calm his sisters while believing the plane was about to crash.
Amit Barshadsky, a 17-year-old high school senior from Hod Hasharon, embarked on a three-week family trip to Japan with his parents and two younger sisters, 15-year-old Tamar and 12-year-old Mika. On their return flight to Israel aboard a harrowing Flydubai journey, Barshadsky captured the terrifying moments of turbulence and panic on his phone camera while sitting next to his sisters.
As the aircraft violently lost altitude and passengers screamed around him, he maintained his composure to calm his sisters, falsely reassuring them that it was merely an "air pocket." In reality, Barshadsky was convinced that the plane was about to crash. The video he recorded quickly went viral worldwide after landing.
A Family Trip and a Sudden Plunge
"We went on a three-week family trip to Japan," Barshadsky recounted. "On the way back, we had a connection in Dubai, and everything was normal. When my mom checked in, there weren't enough seats together. My sisters and I sat in the back alone, while our parents were about ten rows ahead." He described being half-asleep when the terror began.
"Suddenly there was a small noise from the plane, and Tamar, who was by the window, jokingly said to Mika, 'Did you see that?' and they laughed. After a few seconds, we were diving and diving, and I saw that Mika had fainted. I tried to lift her head, patted her face, and she was really pale and bloated."
Barshadsky noted that the three of them were not buckled up at that exact moment. "My body flew up toward the ceiling. I quickly grabbed the armrests and pulled myself down. The plane kept diving, and I tried to calm my sisters. I told them 'Everything is fine, it's just an air pocket,' while opening my camera to document it because I thought this was the end."
Fear, Chaos, and Misunderstandings
After about 40 seconds, the aircraft leveled off before dropping in altitude once more. Barshadsky continued soothing his sisters, telling Tamar to recite the "Shema Yisrael" prayer while helping Mika regain consciousness. They quickly fastened their seatbelts. "I told myself, 'Okay, I'm going to die,' and I accepted it. I told my sisters I loved them and everything would be fine. I didn't tell them I thought it was the end; I tried to give them hope."
Initially, he had no idea what was happening at the front of the cabin. "I thought maybe it was a sandstorm because we were over a desert. But then people started shouting from the front, 'It's a terrorist, it's a terrorist, he has a knife!' and I realized this was much more serious."
The Final Approach and Realization
With about an hour remaining until landing after the plane stabilized, the aircraft continued to tremble. Barshadsky swapped places with his father so the latter could comfort the girls, while he sat next to his mother, who had frozen in shock. Passengers remained deeply confused about who was in control, with rumors circulating that a co-pilot had attacked the captain.
As the plane approached its destination, the tension intensified. "They announced over the intercom that it was a very critical moment, that we needed to be quiet and let the pilots concentrate because we didn't know how we would land. I took the hoodies and flight pillows and put them on our heads so we wouldn't get hurt if anything happened. In the end, the plane landed as smoothly as possible."
Reflecting on the ordeal, Barshadsky said he eventually felt a sense of relief upon learning it was an attempted terrorist attack rather than a catastrophic mechanical failure. "If the plane is broken, there's nothing you can do. Once I realized it was a terror attempt and that the terrorist was caught, I told myself the situation was under control."
