A Flydubai co-pilot attacked the captain with a crash axe as the plane was flying to Israel, with passengers then rushing into the cockpit to stop him, UAE authorities have said. Flight FZ1073, carrying more than 170 people, was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv when it suddenly plunged 17,000ft around two and a half hours into its journey.
Captain injured but opened door
The United Arab Emirates prosecutor general said the co-pilot had attempted to carry out a "terrorist act" and assaulted the captain with the axe in an effort to take control of the aircraft. The investigation remains ongoing, with authorities looking into the circumstances, motive and any possible links surrounding the incident.
The captain, Indian national Smit Machchhar, was injured during the attack but managed to open the cockpit door while lying on the floor. He later recalled: "I told myself to go for one last push to open the door from inside." His actions allowed passengers to enter the cockpit and overpower the attacker.
Passengers intervene
One passenger, Yaniv Hayun, described seeing the attacker apparently damaging the aircraft's controls. Hayun and other passengers managed to pull the co-pilot away from the controls and restrain him. Another passenger then helped steady the aircraft before two reserve pilots landed the plane safely in Saudi Arabia.
The aircraft had issued a general emergency signal before switching to the aviation code used to indicate unlawful interference or a hijacking. One passenger described the terrifying moment the aircraft began to rapidly lose altitude. Almog Itali said: "Suddenly the aeroplane started to, like a rollercoaster, to drop down [with] a massive G-force." He said the plane appeared to fall for around 20 or 30 seconds before levelling out and then beginning to drop again.
Attack details emerge
Passengers then began rushing towards the cockpit. Israeli President Isaac Herzog said the alarm was raised by an Israeli woman, Tali Manes, who heard a commotion coming from the cockpit. Her husband, Zvika, along with Yaniv Hayun, Dr Shota Musayev and Asaf Rajuan, entered the cockpit after Captain Machchhar managed to open the door despite his injuries.
Hayun said the attacker was "trying to destroy the instruments in order to disable the plane". He described putting the co-pilot in a chokehold and pulling him outside the cockpit before other passengers helped pin him down. He then pulled the controls of the plane, saying it began to level out before another pilot took control.
Suspect identified
The captain was taken to hospital before being airlifted to Abu Dhabi. The Indian embassy in the UAE said he was in good health and recovering well. "I am confident that the recovery will be there and I will become fit and healthy again," Machchhar said.
The co-pilot was an Omani national, Hamam al-Hammami, according to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. US media reports have claimed that while working for another airline, Oman Air, al-Hammami was removed from flight training because of concerns over his radical views and was given another role at the airline. He completed a three-year distance-learning course at Buckinghamshire New University in the UK and graduated with a degree in aviation management in 2023. The university said he did not undertake pilot training there.
Netanyahu said the attacker shouted "Kill me, kill me!" after he had been subdued. The Israeli prime minister also claimed the man had undergone "Islamist radical indoctrination" and suggested he may have intended to bring down the plane. The UAE's attorney general, Hamad Saif Al Shamsi, said the co-pilot had attempted to carry out a "terrorist act", according to the country's state news agency. He said investigators were continuing to establish the circumstances, motives and any links connected to the incident.
