Flydubai co-pilot attacked captain with crash axe in alleged terrorist act

A Flydubai co-pilot attacked the captain of flight FZ1073 with a crash axe on September 30, 2026, during a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv, according to the UAE prosecutor general. The incident was classified as a terrorist act by Hamad Saif Al Shamsi, who stated that the co-pilot attempted to take control of the aircraft's flight controls. The aircraft, carrying 174–182 passengers, plunged approximately 17,000 feet before passengers and crew intervened to subdue the attacker. Two off-duty pilots traveling in the passenger cabin then took control and landed the plane safely at Tabuk airport in northwestern Saudi Arabia, approximately 90 minutes after the initial attack.

The co-pilot, identified by multiple media sources as Omani national Hamam al-Hammami, had previously been barred from flying by Oman's national airline due to concerns about extremist views. Despite this, he was hired by Flydubai, an airline based in the UAE, after working for Royal Air Maroc. The circumstances under which he was vetted and hired remain unclear, raising questions about aviation hiring and background-check procedures. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed the co-pilot underwent "Islamist radical indoctrination," though no official evidence was immediately provided.

Captain Smit Machchhar, an Indian national, was badly wounded during the attack but managed to unlock the cockpit door despite his injuries, enabling passengers to gain access and overpower the attacker. Manes, an Israeli passenger, heard the commotion and alerted crew members; she and other passengers, including her husband, rushed into the cockpit and subdued the co-pilot. One passenger reportedly pulled the aircraft's controls to help level the plane during the dive. Machchhar was transported to Abu Dhabi for treatment and was reported to be in stable condition and recovering well.

The co-pilot was arrested by Saudi authorities and transferred to the UAE, which is leading the investigation. The UAE prosecutor general said investigations are ongoing to determine the full circumstances, motives, and any possible links to external parties. Technical examinations and analysis of physical and digital evidence are underway. Multiple sources reported that social media accounts potentially linked to the co-pilot, which have since been deleted, contained images and videos related to terrorist figures and extremist content, though the timing and authorship of these posts remain unclear.

The incident prompted Flydubai to suspend flights to and from Israel, and Israeli carrier El Al cancelled scheduled flights, temporarily stranding some passengers. Repatriation flights operated by Israeli carrier Arkia began returning passengers to Tel Aviv. The attack represents a rare aviation security incident involving a crew member and raises significant concerns about vetting procedures across airlines and whether information about security risks is adequately shared between aviation authorities.