UAE Prosecutors Charge Flydubai Co-Pilot With Attempted Terrorist Act Using Cockpit Axe

UAE prosecutors say the Omani co-pilot of a Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv attacked the captain with a cockpit crash axe in an attempted terrorist act, causing a sharp descent before passengers and crew intervened and the plane made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia. The United Arab Emirates said Saturday that the co-pilot of a flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv attacked the captain with a cockpit crash axe and attempted to take control of the aircraft in what prosecutors described as a terrorist act. [1] Reuters reported that UAE authorities identified the co-pilot as Omani national Hamam al-Hammami and said he attacked the captain while the aircraft was in flight. [1] The plane, carrying more than 170 people, was forced into a sharp descent before the captain, crew members and passengers intervened. [1] The aircraft later made an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. [1]

The Cockpit Attack on Flydubai Flight FZ1073

The incident occurred on September 30 as flight FZ1073 was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv over Saudi Arabia. [1] Flight data reviewed by Reuters showed the Boeing 737 descended more than 16,000 feet in about 30 seconds before the situation was brought under control. [1] The co-pilot attacked the pilot inside the cockpit with a crash axe and attempted to take control of the aircraft, the prosecutor general said. [2] A crash axe is typically kept in the cockpit for use during emergencies such as crashes. [2] According to the UAE Attorney General, the co-pilot assaulted Captain Smit Machchhar with the crash axe and attempted to seize control of the aircraft. [1] Machchhar was injured during the confrontation but managed to unlock the cockpit door, allowing crew members and passengers to intervene and restrain the attacker. [1] Other pilots on board subsequently assisted in controlling the aircraft and completing the emergency landing. [1] The aircraft dropped about 16,625 feet in just over 30 seconds while flying over Saudi Arabia on its journey from the UAE to Israel, according to flight-tracking data from Flightradar24. [2] Passengers described rushing the cockpit and a fight for control after the plane plummeted, losing around 17,000 feet of altitude in the span of a minute, according to the Flightradar24 website. [3] Disaster was averted on Wednesday after passengers and crew subdued the co-pilot, who had attacked the captain in what Israeli officials said was an apparent attempt to crash the plane carrying more than 170 passengers and crew. [2] The captain has since returned to the UAE and is receiving medical treatment. [1]

Identification of the Co-Pilot and Prior Concerns

The co-pilot was identified as Omani national Hamam al-Hammami. [1] A second source briefed on the investigation confirmed the co-pilot’s name. [2] The co-pilot, who remains in custody in the UAE, was identified by multiple media outlets as Omani national Hamam al-Hammami. [3] The Associated Press reported that al-Hammami had previously been barred from flying in Oman over concerns about suspected extremist views and was later moved to an administrative role. [1] Media reports have also said the pilot had been barred from flying in his home nation over concerns about extremist views. [3] The Wall Street Journal reported Friday that Omani authorities had banned the pilot from flying over concerns he had adopted radical ideological views, citing people familiar with the matter. [3] CNN, citing two sources familiar with the matter, reported the pilot was removed from a job at Oman's national airline last year over concerns about extremist views. [3] Al Arabiya, citing an informed source, also reported that Omani authorities determined that the co-pilot held extremist views. [3] ABC News, citing senior intelligence and law enforcement officials familiar with the investigation, reported the suspect had allegedly been found in possession of extremist materials while he was a trainee. [3] The reports of his previous restrictions have not been presented as proof of a connection to any extremist group. [1]

Flydubai co-pilot Hamam al-Hammami attacked the captain with a cockpit axe during a Dubai to Tel Aviv flight. — Source: cyprusmail

UAE Prosecutors' Terrorism Finding

“Investigations into the incident involving flydubai flight FZ1073 found that the co-pilot had attempted to carry out a terrorist attack,” Prosecutor General Hamad Saif Al Shamsi said in a statement carried by the UAE’s state news agency. [2] The co-pilot attacked the pilot inside the cockpit with a crash axe and attempted to take control of the aircraft, the prosecutor general said. [2] “The co-pilot had attempted to carry out a terrorist act” and had “attacked the captain in the cockpit with the emergency axe and tried to take control of the aircraft”, WAM quoted UAE Attorney General Hamad Saif Al Shamsi as saying, referring to initial findings of an investigation. [3] UAE says co-pilot attempted ‘terrorist act’ in Flydubai incident. [4] Co-pilot used crash axe against captain in the cockpit, says Hamad Saif al-Shamsi, adding that probe is underway 'to uncover all circumstances of incident'. [4] The investigation into the flight FZ1073, including the suspect’s motives, is ongoing, and the findings will be released once the “necessary procedures” have been completed, the prosecutor general said. [2] The UAE is leading the investigation in coordination with authorities in Saudi Arabia and Israel. [1] The motive remains under investigation. [1] Investigators are examining whether he acted alone or had links to an extremist organization. [1] The UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority has urged the public to rely on official information and avoid circulating unverified claims while the investigation continues. [1]

Israeli and Regional Reactions

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said pilots from such countries were not permitted to operate flights to Israel. [2] On Friday, Netanyahu said that Israel was looking into whether the co-pilot had acted under anyone’s direction, warning that anyone involved would pay a “heavy price”. [2] Netanyahu said a day earlier that the co-pilot had undergone radical Islamist indoctrination and was clearly suicidal, though he said a motive had not yet been established. [2] Netanyahu claimed the suspect had undergone "Islamist radical indoctrination" and had attempted to crash the plane. [3] Netanyahu has said Israel would check how he had been cleared to work on flights to the country. [3] Following the release of the prosecutor general’s statement, Anwar Gargash, a senior adviser to the UAE president, said on X that the Gulf country had zero tolerance for terrorism and would show no leniency toward extremist rhetoric. [2] An Israeli government official told Reuters on Friday that Israeli investigators would take part alongside Emirati authorities in the UAE-led investigation, seeking to determine what happened and examine the suspect’s motives and background. [2] A source briefed on the investigation told Reuters on Friday that Israeli officials were expected to question the co-pilot in the UAE. [2]

UAE prosecutors charge Flydubai co-pilot with attempted terrorist act using cockpit axe. — Source: thenewarab

Impact on Flights and Aviation Security Questions

Flydubai has suspended its flights between Dubai and Tel Aviv following the incident, citing passenger and crew safety. [1] The first flight carrying Israelis home from the United Arab Emirates landed in Tel Aviv after services were suspended following the attack, according to Israel's airport authority website. [3] The case has also raised renewed questions about aviation security and the screening and vetting of flight crew on sensitive international routes. [1] Israel does not have official diplomatic relations with Oman, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said pilots from such countries were not permitted to operate flights to Israel. [2] It was not clear how the co-pilot came to be assigned to the flight to Tel Aviv. [2] Most of the passengers on board were Israeli nationals. [2] The route is popular among Israeli travellers. [2]

Current Status of the Investigation

The co-pilot was transferred from Saudi Arabia to Abu Dhabi on Thursday. [2] A reserve flydubai pilot travelling on the flight took control of the aircraft and landed it at Tabuk airport in northwestern Saudi Arabia, where the co-pilot was detained by Saudi authorities. [2] The co-pilot is still in custody in the UAE. [3] The UAE is leading the investigation. [2] The airline is owned by Dubai’s government. [2] Flydubai said the circumstances surrounding the incident were still under investigation and that it was not in a position to comment further, a spokesperson said on Saturday. [2] In his first public comments on the incident, flydubai Chief Executive Ghaith al Ghaith on Friday said that the flight diverted after a “safety incident” inside the cockpit. [2] The UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority has urged the public to rely on official information and avoid circulating unverified claims while the investigation continues. [1]

What to watch next: The investigation into the flight FZ1073, including the suspect’s motives, is ongoing, and the findings will be released once the “necessary procedures” have been completed, the prosecutor general said. [2]