Investigations are ongoing into an incident involving a Flydubai flight where the copilot allegedly attacked the pilot. The flight, which departed from Dubai International Airport, made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia approximately two and a half hours after takeoff. Media reports indicate that the copilot, identified as Hamam al-Hammami, attacked Captain Smit Machchhar with the cockpit’s crash axe. Passengers were able to subdue the copilot after Machchhar opened the cockpit door during the altercation.
Authorities are working to determine the motive behind the attack. Al-Hammami, an Omani national, had previously faced scrutiny regarding his ideological views, according to unnamed sources cited by The Wall Street Journal. CNN reported that he had been removed from flight training due to similar concerns and reassigned to another position. It remains unclear how he was able to operate the Flydubai flight despite these security issues.
During the incident, Machchhar reportedly opened the cockpit door while injured, allowing passengers to intervene. One passenger, Yaniv Hayoun, described how he managed to assist in controlling the aircraft, stating he learned from watching a television show about aviation incidents. The flight experienced a rapid descent of over 5,180 meters (17,000 feet) in less than two minutes, causing panic among passengers, though no injuries were reported.
An aviation expert noted that the aircraft would have exceeded its maximum structural speed during the descent, which could have resulted in unsecured items being thrown around the cabin. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu commented on the incident, indicating that Israel is investigating whether the copilot acted under any external influence. He also mentioned that the Israeli government had received a list of crew members and passengers prior to the flight's landing in Israel.
Machchhar informed Netanyahu that al-Hammami had requested to pray before the attack, although the timing did not align with standard Islamic prayer times. The flight departed from the UAE at 7:05 AM local time, and the attack occurred approximately two and a half hours later.