Flydubai Co-pilot Attempts to Crash Plane into Tel Aviv
Hamam al-Hammami attempted to hijack Flydubai Flight FZ1073 to crash it into Tel Aviv before being subdued by the crew and passengers.
A Flydubai co-pilot attempted to hijack Flight FZ1073 on Wednesday during a trip from Dubai to Tel Aviv. Hamam al-Hammami, a 29-year-old Omani citizen, attacked Captain Smit Machchhar with an onboard crash axe, causing the aircraft to plummet 14,000 feet in 29 seconds. Passengers and crew fought back and tied up al-Hammami, eventually diverting the plane to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, for an emergency landing.
Israeli officials report that al-Hammami plotted the attack before being hired, intending to crash the plane into Ben Gurion Airport or the Azrieli Towers to cause mass casualties. Investigations reveal al-Hammami held extremist views and had previously been removed from flying duties at Oman Air due to radicalization concerns during time spent in Syria. The United Arab Emirates is leading the primary investigation into whether he acted as a lone wolf or with an extremist group.
Security agencies in Australia and New Zealand have launched probes into al-Hammami's past, including his time as an engineering student in Australia from 2015 to 2017. In Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated the suspect underwent Islamist radical indoctrination. The incident has become a political flashpoint in Israel three weeks before a closely contested election. Meanwhile, some passengers reported a confrontation with the flight crew, claiming crew members asked them to release the restrained attacker.
