The co-pilot of a Tel Aviv-bound flydubai flight attempted a terrorist act by attacking the captain in the cockpit with an emergency axe and trying to take control of the aircraft, UAE investigators announced. Initial findings from the United Arab Emirates state news agency WAM confirmed the mid-air assault on flight FZ 1073, which forced a sudden emergency landing in Saudi Arabia after a steep plunge of roughly 17,000 feet. According to the Flightradar24 website, this altitude was lost in the span of a minute.
Authorities identify suspect behind attempted terrorist act
UAE Attorney General Hamad Saif Al Shamsi stated that the co-pilot attempted to carry out a terrorist act during the scheduled service, according to WAM. While UAE state media did not initially confirm the nationality of the suspect, a Saudi source confirmed to AFP that he was Omani. Multiple international media outlets subsequently identified the co-pilot as Hamam al-Hammami, noting he remains in custody in the UAE. He was born in the United Arab Emirates to a Syrian mother and an Omani father.
CNN and The Wall Street Journal reported that Omani authorities had previously banned the pilot from flying over concerns regarding extremist views. According to CNN, citing two sources familiar with the matter, al-Hammami was removed from a job at Oman’s national airline last year. ABC News reported that senior intelligence and law enforcement officials found extremist materials in his possession while he was a trainee.
Two posts appeared on al-Hammami’s LinkedIn profile about nine hours after the incident. One featured cockpit clips from a Boeing 737 Max, including a shot of an El Al plane and a video ending with photos of al Qaeda leaders Humam Khalil Abu-Mulal al-Balawi and Ayman al-Zawahiri. A second post showed an AI-generated image of Jerusalem, Medina, and Mecca linked by a glowing trail.
Passengers intervene during violent cockpit struggle
During the flight, Indian captain Smit Machchhar was assaulted inside the cockpit, sustaining significant injuries to his head and hands. Passenger Tali Manes, an Israeli bank executive, told the media that she heard heavy blows against the cockpit door while taking her six-year-old daughter, Nina, to the toilet at about 9.30 Wednesday morning. Manes told a flight attendant something was wrong and later shouted that the pilot was being stabbed after realizing no one was at the controls as the Boeing 737 entered a steep dive. Passenger Daniel Schlichter confirmed that sounds of a fight were heard moments before the aircraft plummeted.
Despite his wounds, Captain Machchhar managed to unlock the cockpit security door, enabling passengers and crew to intervene. A dentist named Dr. Shota Musaev and other passengers rushed the cockpit, restraining the attacker with telephone cords and plastic zip ties. Musaev reported finding the attacker on top of Machchhar. A plumber on board, identified by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as Yaniv Hayoun, also helped take control of the situation before the plane landed safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. Footage from the cabin captured passengers shouting in Hebrew and English, with one passenger stating, “He tried to crash the plane.”
Leaders question security screening after plane attack
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the suspect had undergone Islamist radical indoctrination and attempted to crash the plane. Netanyahu questioned how the co-pilot had cleared security screening to work on flights to Israel, given that Oman does not maintain diplomatic relations with the country. US President Donald Trump warned that if Iran were linked to the attack, the country would be hit very hard, though Israeli officials noted there is currently no evidence connecting Tehran to the incident. The attack has unsettled West Asia, which is already shaken by the U.S.-Iran war.
Travel disruptions followed the attack, with flydubai temporarily halting its Israel route and Israeli carriers suspending scheduled flights. According to the Ben Gurion International Airport website, a flight carrying stranded Israelis home from the United Arab Emirates landed shortly after 1 a.m. The airport listed Israir and Arkia as carriers with early Saturday arrivals.
Terrorism experts are skeptical that the co-pilot’s only motive was suicide. Colin Clarke of the Soufan Center in New York stated the odds of a pilot choosing suicide while flying a plane full of Israelis are “pretty low,” adding that terrorism is the most obvious explanation. This follows disputes over whether a pilot deliberately cut fuel during an AirIndia 787 crash in Ahmedabad last year.
Flight diverts to Saudi Arabia after cockpit attack
Where did flight FZ 1073 land after the cockpit attack?
The flydubai flight diverted to Saudi Arabia, landing safely in Tabuk after passengers and crew overpowered the co-pilot.
What injuries did the pilot sustain during the incident?
Captain Smit Machchhar suffered extensive cuts to his head and hands and significant blood loss before receiving treatment in an Abu Dhabi hospital.
When did the first flight carrying stranded Israelis return to Tel Aviv?
An Arkia flight carrying Israelis home from the United Arab Emirates landed at Ben Gurion Airport shortly after 1 a.m. local time following the suspension of services.
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