United Arab Emirates prosecutors said on Saturday that Omani co-pilot Hamam Alhammami carried out a “terrorist attack” aboard a flydubai Boeing 737 flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv, attacking Indian Captain Smit Machchhar with a cockpit crash axe in an apparent attempt to seize control of the aircraft. The attack on Wednesday endangered more than 170 passengers, including 24 children, before the jet diverted to Saudi Arabia and landed safely.
The aircraft was cruising at about 34,000 feet when it began descending rapidly, dropping roughly 23,000 feet per minute before reaching an altitude of approximately 15,600 feet. Despite being injured, Captain Machchhar unlocked the cockpit door, allowing crew members and passengers to intervene and overpower Alhammami. Footage from inside the aircraft showed the captain lying in a pool of blood and saying that his co-pilot had “hit” him.
A dentist aboard the flight provided lifesaving assistance to Captain Machchhar, while two relief pilots took control of the aircraft and diverted it to Saudi Arabia. Reports have suggested that Alhammami intended to crash the plane in Israel.
Crash axes are mandatory emergency equipment on commercial aircraft and are stored in the cockpit for use during crashes and other emergencies. Their placement was moved from passenger cabins to cockpits after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States.
Alhammami had reportedly been barred from flying in Oman after concerns emerged that he held extremist views. He worked as a co-pilot trainee with Oman Air in 2024 and was reportedly found in possession of extremist material, but remained with the airline in an administrative role. He left in February 2025, joined Royal Air Maroc in June and resigned in January 2026. Flydubai subsequently hired him, and he worked for the airline for eight months before the attack, including on the sensitive route between the UAE and Israel.
Investigators are examining whether Alhammami acted alone or was connected to an extremist organisation.
Original Source: https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/flydubai-co-pilot-attacked-captain-smit-machchhar-with-cockpits-crash-axe-12132953#publisher=newsstand
Category:
Tags:
Publish Date: 2026-10-03 13:32:00
