A Flydubai co-pilot attacked the captain with a crash axe and attempted to seize control of an Israel-bound passenger plane in what authorities have described as a terrorist act. The incident occurred on Flydubai flight FZ1073, which was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv with more than 170 passengers and crew. The Boeing 737 MAX 8 plunged thousands of feet during the struggle, before passengers and crew members entered the cockpit and overpowered the attacker.
The co-pilot, identified as Hamam al-Hammami, an Omani national, assaulted the captain with a crash axe and attempted to take control of the aircraft about two and a half hours into the journey. UAE Prosecutor General Hamad Saif Al Shamsi said investigators had established that the co-pilot attempted to carry out a “terrorist act”, although investigators are continuing to examine his motives, possible connections and whether the attack involved advance planning or outside direction.
Captain Smit Machchhar, an Indian national, was seriously injured during the attack but managed to unlock the cockpit door as the aircraft lost altitude. Speaking from hospital, Machchhar said he was lying injured on the cockpit floor when he realised the plane was descending dangerously. “I told myself to go for one last push to open the door from inside,” he said. Opening the door allowed passengers and crew members to enter the cockpit, restrain the co-pilot and give the reserve pilots access to the controls.
The aircraft transmitted the general emergency code 7700 before switching to 7500, the transponder code used to report unlawful interference or a hijacking. Accounts differ on the exact altitude loss, with Reuters reporting that the plane plunged nearly 14,000ft in less than 30 seconds, while other reports put the total descent at about 17,000ft. Passenger Almog Itali compared the experience to a rollercoaster, saying the aircraft suddenly dropped under intense gravitational force before briefly levelling and descending again.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that the attacker was from Oman and appeared suicidal and had undergone Islamist radicalisation. US media outlets have reported that the suspect was previously removed from pilot training at Oman Air because of concerns about his extremist views and transferred to a non-flying position. However, Oman Air and Omani authorities have not publicly confirmed all the claims surrounding his employment history.
Buckinghamshire New University in Britain confirmed that a person bearing the suspect’s reported name completed a three-year distance-learning degree in aviation management in 2023. The university stressed that the course did not include pilot training. Machchhar was initially taken to hospital in Saudi Arabia before being transferred to Abu Dhabi. The Indian embassy said he was in good health and recovering.
The co-pilot was detained following the emergency landing, and UAE authorities say technical examinations and analysis of physical and digital evidence are continuing before the investigation’s final findings are released. Two reserve Flydubai pilots travelling on the flight stabilised the aircraft and landed it safely at Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia. The Indian government has praised Captain Machchhar for his “immense courage” during the attack.
Key points
- The incident occurred on Flydubai flight FZ1073, which was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv with more than 170 passengers and crew.
- The co-pilot, identified as Hamam al-Hammami, an Omani national, assaulted the captain with a crash axe and attempted to take control of the aircraft.
- Captain Smit Machchhar, an Indian national, was seriously injured during the attack but managed to unlock the cockpit door as the aircraft lost altitude.
