Flydubai co-pilot attacked captain, tried to crash Tel Aviv flight

Flydubai flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv was diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, on September 30 after co-pilot Hamam al-Hammami attacked Captain Smit Machchhar and attempted to seize control of the Boeing 737. During the struggle, the aircraft plunged roughly 14,000 feet in under 30 seconds with 174 people on board.

Despite serious injuries, Captain Machchhar opened the cockpit door, allowing passengers and off-duty Flydubai pilots to subdue al-Hammami. Two reserve pilots then landed the aircraft safely in Tabuk. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the incident as an apparent attempt to crash the plane.

“The co-pilot had apparently undergone radical Islamist indoctrination and may have intended to destroy the aircraft with its passengers.”

Al-Hammami, an Omani national born in the UAE to an Omani father and Syrian mother, was removed from Oman Air flight training in 2024 over concerns about radical Islamist views. He later worked for Royal Air Maroc before joining Flydubai roughly eight months ago, reportedly without formal Omani background vetting.

Surveillance during his Oman Air training allegedly showed him browsing extremist websites. Sources say he once posted a video of an El Al aircraft alongside an image of al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri. His LinkedIn profile reportedly displayed cockpit footage of an El Al plane and al-Qaeda imagery hours after the attack.

Authorities are investigating the precise motive and whether al-Hammami acted alone. The case has raised serious questions about aviation security screening and the sharing of personnel risk data across airlines and borders.