A Flydubai copilot attacked the flight captain with a crash ax and attempted to crash a Tel Aviv-bound Boeing 737 Max before passengers and crew subdued him midair, according to investigations by United Arab Emirates and Israeli officials.
A Flydubai copilot assaulted his captain with a crash ax during flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv, causing the aircraft to plunge more than 14,000 feet in under 30 seconds, according to investigators and news agencies reported.
The Boeing 737 carried 174 passengers, almost all of them Israelis. Some reports indicate the aircraft lost up to 17,000 feet in altitude during the rapid descent and sustained damage to its rudder before it was safely diverted.
Passengers and Reserve Pilots Stop Midair Plunge
Flight captain Smit Machchhar was severely injured during the assault but managed to open the cockpit door from the inside. This allowed passengers and crew members to rush in and overpower the attacker.
Two reserve pilots traveling on the plane stepped in to stabilize the aircraft. The plane diverted to Tabuk Airport in northwestern Saudi Arabia, landing at 06:58 local time, according to flight details shared by international news networks.
Passengers Daniel Schlichter and Tzvika Manes recounted entering the cockpit during the descent to help restrain the attacker. Schlichter noted that the presence of two extra pilots proved critical to stabilizing the aircraft after the extreme altitude loss.
Passengers reported that they did not want to harm the attacker but simply wanted him to stop killing, using zip ties and headphone wires to restrain him face-down so he could face investigation.
Authorities Probe Copilot Hamam al-Hammami
UAE Attorney General Hamad Saif Al Shamsi confirmed that investigators determined the copilot attempted to carry out a terrorist act by attacking the flight deck controls with a crash ax.
Online Footprint Suggests Radicalization
The suspect’s accounts shared imagery honoring former al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri and figures linked to historical attacks against Western intelligence personnel, according to network reports analyzing his online footprint.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the suspect was believed to have undergone Islamist radical indoctrination and intended to crash the plane in Israel. Authorities investigated whether the attack was linked to terrorist activity or a specific intent to target Jewish passengers.
Netanyahu Hails Crew as Heroes
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with passengers, hailing Captain Machchhar and civilian responders as heroes.
Flydubai suspended flights to Israel while aviation regulators and security agencies continued their joint inquiries into how the suspect cleared airline screening protocols.