Children who were aboard the Flydubai flight that was forced to make an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia are describing the terrifying moments when the aircraft suddenly began losing altitude as passengers learned that the captain had been stabbed.

New testimony also reveals the remarkable chain of events that reportedly led passengers to realize something was terribly wrong inside the cockpit.

The father of 8-year-old passenger Omer Shalom said a woman aboard the flight got up to use the bathroom near the cockpit and heard the screams of the wounded captain. She immediately called out to her husband, Yaniv Hayun, who rushed toward the cockpit and helped overpower the attacker.

Omer’s father described the terrifying moments as the aircraft plunged through the air at extreme angles.

“The rear wing broke from the speed of the fall. Everything went through my head, all the things I can’t say again in front of the girls,” he said.

Among the passengers was 16-year-old Peleg Itali, who was traveling with his parents and sister and was seated toward the front of the aircraft.

“The plane started going crazy and I heard a woman screaming that he had been stabbed,” Peleg told Ynet. “Two heroes jumped forward toward the cockpit. Nobody explains to you that there’s a terrorist. I saw the ground and felt that we were falling. I started talking to God, asking forgiveness for everything and asking for heaven. I almost wrote a eulogy.”

The terrifying scene was especially difficult for the many families and young children aboard the aircraft.

Peleg recalled mothers desperately attempting to calm their frightened children as screams erupted throughout the cabin and passengers had little understanding of what was happening.

Eight-year-old Omer also described her fear as the plane rapidly lost altitude.

“I was scared to death because I thought we were going to crash,” she said.

Only after the attacker had been subdued did Omer’s mother explain to her that the aircraft was heading for an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia.

The plane ultimately landed safely in Tabuk, where Saudi authorities received approximately 180 Israeli passengers and provided food and medical assistance before arrangements were made for their return to Israel aboard a Flydubai rescue flight.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)