Flydubai co-pilot attacked captain with crash axe; UAE investigates suspected terrorist act and social-media links
Abu Dhabi, Oct 3 (UNI) A Flydubai co-pilot attacked the aircraft's captain with a crash axe and attempted to take control of the plane during a flight to Tel Aviv on Wednesday, the United Arab Emirates' top prosecutor said, describing the incident as an attempted "terrorist act".
The co-pilot was identified by UAE state news agency WAM as Omani national Hamam al-Hammami. UAE Attorney General Counsellor Hamad Saif al-Shamsi said al-Hammami attacked Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar while Flydubai flight FZ1073 was airborne. Saudi state media also identified al-Hammami as the co-pilot. One report said he was born in the UAE to an Omani father and Syrian mother and had lived in the country for several years. Al-Shamsi said the co-pilot had attempted to seize control of the aircraft's flight controls during the incident. An investigation is underway "to uncover all the circumstances of the incident, its motives, and related connections", as well as to complete technical examinations and analyse physical and digital evidence, WAM reported.
The attorney general said the final findings would be made public once the required legal and administrative procedures had been completed. According to WAM, the co-pilot used the emergency crash axe inside the cockpit to strike the captain while attempting to take control of the aircraft. A crash axe is standard emergency equipment carried in aircraft cockpits and is designed for use in emergencies involving aircraft structures.
The incident triggered an emergency response after the aircraft reportedly lost about 16,000 feet in altitude over roughly two minutes during the struggle. Machchhar, despite sustaining serious injuries, managed to regain access to the cockpit entrance, allowing crew members, passengers and two off-duty pilots travelling on board to intervene and overpower the co-pilot, according to reports.
The aircraft subsequently made an unscheduled emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, where all 180 people aboard disembarked safely. Separate media reports have raised questions about al-Hammami's previous employment and activities, although those details have not been established by the UAE investigation publicly. CBS News and Al Arabiya English, citing sources, reported that al-Hammami had previously trained as a pilot with Oman Air. According to those reports, concerns about his online activity led to his removal from flying duties before he left the airline around 2024. The reports also said he had previously been barred from flying in Oman amid concerns linked to an earlier stay in Syria.
After moving to Dubai, al-Hammami joined Flydubai, according to the reports. CNN reported that posts appeared on a LinkedIn profile attributed to al-Hammami after the incident, including cockpit footage of an El Al aircraft and images of Al-Qaeda figures including Ayman al-Zawahiri. Only two posts were made to the LinkedIn profile, and both were published in quick succession on Wednesday, about nine hours after the incident.
The video ends with a photo of Ayman al-Zawahiri, who led al Qaeda after the death of Osama Bin Laden, and a photo of Humam Khalil Abu-Mulal al-Balawi, who killed nine people, including seven American CIA officers and contractors, in a 2009 suicide bombing, and was loyal to al Qaeda, CNN reported. The authenticity and circumstances surrounding those online posts have not been established by the UAE authorities in their public statements. The September 30 incident has prompted scrutiny over the motive behind the attack and whether it was part of a deliberate attempt to seize control of the aircraft.
Authorities have not yet released the full findings of their investigation. Further details are expected after the completion of technical examinations and the review of physical and digital evidence.
UNI AAB
