According to the investigation, the second pilot attacked the crew commander — Indian citizen Smith Machchar — with an emergency axe during the flight and tried to seize control of the aircraft. The UAE Prosecutor's Office classifies what happened as planning and an attempted terrorist act.
The incident occurred on the morning of September 30 aboard a FlyDubai Boeing 737 operating flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv. The aircraft first transmitted the general emergency code 7700, and then code 7500, indicating unlawful interference with the operation of the aircraft, and within several tens of seconds lost more than four kilometers of altitude.
Despite serious injuries, the captain opened the cockpit door. Passengers and crew members subdued the attacker, after which two other FlyDubai pilots, who were flying on board as a reserve crew, regained control and landed the aircraft in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
According to ABC News, the attacker is 29 years old, a citizen of Oman, and his name is Hamam Al-Hammami. In 2024, he was undergoing training at Oman Air as a second pilot, but he was grounded after extremist materials were discovered.
He was later allowed to continue working at the company in an administrative position, then he worked at Royal Air Maroc, and eight months ago he joined FlyDubai. The investigation is determining the attacker's motives and possible connections, examining physical and digital evidence, and conducting technical examinations, and promises to release the final results after all procedures are completed. According to available information, the suspect is cooperating with the investigation and stated that he intended to crash the plane on Israeli territory; earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the attacker was allegedly planning to crash the plane, and Israeli authorities called what happened a “jihadist terrorist attack”.
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