Investigators have released an exact minute-by-minute account of how Wednesday’s flydubai mid-air incident unfolded, based on flight records. The flight from the UAE to Tel Aviv was diverted after a co-pilot allegedly attacked his colleague with a crash axe.
Attack and heroic rescue
The co-pilot, Omani Hamam Al Hammami, allegedly attacked Indian co-pilot Captain Smit Machchhar on the flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv on Wednesday (September 30). As he lay wounded, Captain Smit reached to unlock the cockpit door, allowing some of the 182 passengers onboard to subdue Al Hammami.
Two off-duty pilots, who have not been named, then raced to the controls to save the plane, which was in a steep descent. Miraculously, the 182 passengers onboard escaped serious injury.
Exact timeline of events
An exact timeline has now been put together by investigators based on flight records. It shows just how quickly things went wrong onboard. The timeline is as follows (all times GMT):
- 3:05am: Flydubai flight FZ 1073 carrying 182 passengers and six members of crew takes off from Dubai, heading for Tel Aviv.
- 5:21am: The aircraft hurtles to the ground, dropping 14,000ft in around 30 seconds.
- 5:31am: The plane transmits 7700 squawk code indicating a 'general emergency'.
- 5:42am: Plane performs a U-turn at around 15,000ft after alert switched to 7500 squawk code for 'unlawful interference'.
- 6:58am: Makes emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
Aftermath and investigations
Al Hammami was arrested in Saudi Arabia. That evening, another flight took off to safely take the passengers to Israel.
In the aftermath of the attack, UAE attorney general, Hamad Saif Al Shamsi, told state media ‘investigations into the incident involving flydubai flight FZ1073 found that the co-pilot had attempted to carry out a terrorist attack’.
Australian officials also confirmed on Saturday two police forces and a security agency have opened a probe into the co-pilot. A spokesperson for the Victorian Joint Counter Terrorism Team (VIC JCTT), which includes Australian Federal Police, Victoria Police, and the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation — its version of MI5 — said: “Vic JCTT can confirm it is investigating the man's links to Australia.”
