A flydubai co-pilot launched a shocking mid-air attack on his captain with an emergency axe in what UAE authorities are now calling an attempted terrorist assault, sending a passenger jet into a terrifying plunge before passengers and crew intervened to prevent disaster.
The dramatic incident unfolded Wednesday aboard flydubai flight FZ1073, traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv with 174 passengers and eight crew members. UAE Prosecutor General Hamad Saif Al Shamsi confirmed Saturday that the co-pilot, identified by sources as Omani national Hammam al-Hammami, attacked the pilot inside the cockpit using a crash axe—a tool normally reserved for emergency evacuations—and attempted to seize control of the aircraft.
The assault left Indian captain Smit Machchhar severely injured and bleeding on the cockpit floor. In an emotional video call with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi from his hospital bed in Abu Dhabi, Machchhar described his desperate fight for survival as the plane began its descent.
“I knew that the aircraft was going down. I had fallen to the ground. I told myself that the door is right there, just open it. I managed to do it and people entered,” Machchhar said, tears streaming down his face, tubes visible in his nose and bandages covering his head and hands.
Flight tracking data from Flightradar24 shows the aircraft dropped approximately 16,625 feet in just over 30 seconds while flying over Saudi Arabia—a descent one aviation instructor described as feeling like a “vertical roller coaster.” Machchhar, a pilot with 17 years of experience and 11 years as captain, managed to unlock the cockpit door despite his injuries, allowing passengers and crew to rush in and overpower the attacker.
A reserve flydubai pilot who happened to be traveling on the flight then took control of the aircraft and executed an emergency landing at Tabuk airport in northwestern Saudi Arabia. Saudi authorities immediately detained the co-pilot, who was later transferred to UAE custody on Thursday.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the co-pilot appeared to have undergone radical indoctrination and may have been suicidal, though investigators are still working to establish a clear motive. Netanyahu warned that if the attacker acted under anyone’s direction, those responsible would pay a “heavy price.” Most passengers aboard were Israeli nationals.
The investigation has now expanded internationally. Australian counterterrorism units confirmed Sunday they are examining the co-pilot’s connections to Australia, where sources say he studied engineering at RMIT University in Melbourne roughly a decade ago, though he did not complete the qualification. The Financial Times reported that Australian intelligence services maintain a file on the individual and that he allegedly visited extremist websites while in the country, though Reuters could not independently verify these claims.
Israeli officials have announced they will participate alongside UAE authorities in the investigation, examining not only what happened but also the suspect’s background, motives, and any potential connections to extremist networks. Netanyahu has also ordered a comprehensive security review of foreign civil aviation to Israel, noting that pilots from countries without official diplomatic relations with Israel—including Oman—are not typically permitted to operate flights to Tel Aviv. How the co-pilot came to be assigned to this route remains unclear.
flydubai has declined further comment, stating that circumstances surrounding the incident remain under investigation. Captain Machchhar and the co-pilot were both hospitalized in Tabuk before being transferred to Abu Dhabi for further questioning once their conditions improved.
The incident has sent shockwaves through the aviation industry, raising urgent questions about pilot vetting procedures, cockpit security protocols, and the potential for insider threats on commercial flights.
