UAE authorities say the co-pilot of FlyDubai FZ1073 attacked the captain with the cockpit’s crash axe and tried to take control of the aircraft on Sept. 30, 2026, before passengers and others subdued him and the jet landed safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
The UAE, which is leading the investigation into FlyDubai FZ1073, called it a terrorist attack, the Associated Press reported. On Oct. 1 the UAE attorney general ordered a prosecution team to examine the circumstances and motives, including any possible link to terrorist activity and whether the incident involved prior planning or direction, The Arabian Post reported. Investigators are still working to establish a motive, and the investigation has not concluded.
The incident has raised questions about how the co-pilot was vetted and how he came to crew FlyDubai FZ1073, a Tel Aviv-bound flight carrying mostly Israeli passengers.
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What Happened on FlyDubai FZ1073
FlyDubai FZ1073 left Dubai at 7:05 a.m. local time bound for Tel Aviv. About two and a half hours later it went into a sharp descent before making an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia, Al Jazeera reported. The AP said 182 people were on board; Reuters and AFP reported 174.
The UAE said the co-pilot attacked the captain with the crash axe and tried to seize the controls. The captain, Smit Machchhar, an Indian national, was badly wounded but used his remaining energy to unlock the cockpit door, letting people who had heard alarming sounds rush in, tackle the co-pilot and stabilize the flight, the AP reported.
Machchhar told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that before the attack the co-pilot asked to pray, and that he felt a blow to the back of his head a few minutes later, according to the AP.
Flight-tracking data cited by Al Jazeera showed the FlyDubai FZ1073 jet dropped more than 17,000 feet in under two minutes. AFP reported a fall of nearly 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds. The AP said the descent was so extreme that part of the rudder was torn away. FlyDubai said crew traveling on the plane helped stabilize it and land, and they have not been publicly identified.
The FlyDubai FZ1073 passengers, most of them Israeli, flew home later that day on a separate plane, the AP reported. The captain and co-pilot were treated for injuries, and on Oct. 1 both were flown to Abu Dhabi with a UAE security team for questioning, according to Saudi Arabia’s Interior Ministry, The Arabian Post reported.
The Co-Pilot and What Investigators Say
The AP reported that three people with knowledge of the situation, including a Gulf diplomat and a Western diplomat, identified the co-pilot as Hamam al-Hammami, an Omani national. As of Oct. 1, neither the UAE nor FlyDubai had publicly confirmed his identity or nationality, according to The Arabian Post. He has not been charged in any report reviewed for this article, and the UAE has not published a full account of his background.
Saudi Arabia’s Interior Ministry said its preliminary investigation, carried out with a UAE security team, found that a cockpit altercation occurred and that the co-pilot assaulted the captain. It stopped short of giving a motive, and the Saudi account did not endorse Israeli claims about the co-pilot’s intentions, The Arabian Post reported.
A regional official told the AP he had been barred from flying by Oman because of concerns that he had adopted extremist views, and was moved to an administrative job at Oman Air. He was later hired by FlyDubai. The Gulf diplomat said his pre-hiring checks focused on whether he had been convicted of criminal charges and did not look deeper for signs of radicalization, according to the AP.
Royal Air Maroc told the AP the co-pilot completed three months of theoretical training with the airline in 2025 as part of its pre-employment process and was not selected.
Netanyahu said the co-pilot had undergone “Islamist radicalization” but gave no evidence, the AP reported. The Gulf diplomat said the investigation had found no connections with militant groups, suggesting he acted alone, and CNN reported Israeli sources also believe he probably acted alone. Security agencies from four regional countries, with help from the United States and other Western governments, are working to establish his motives, according to the AP. The UAE attorney general urged the public not to circulate unverified information, The National reported.
Australian counterterrorism investigators are examining whether the co-pilot has links to Australia, where sources say he studied between 2015 and 2017, ABC News reported.
Questions About Vetting and Cockpit Security
Regional officials told the AP that the UAE shared a list of passengers and crew, including nationalities, with Israel ahead of FlyDubai FZ1073, and that Israel raised no red flags. Israel and Oman have no formal diplomatic relations. Netanyahu has said Israel has agreements with foreign carriers to keep pilots from countries without diplomatic ties from flying there. It remains unclear how the co-pilot ended up on the route, the AP reported.
Netanyahu told Israel’s National Security Council head to appoint an examiner to review “all security aspects regarding foreign civil aviation to Israel,” the AP reported. Israeli agencies have traded blame over who was responsible for checking foreign crews. The Transportation Ministry’s head of aviation security told Army Radio the ministry relies on local security checks and cannot vet every passenger on every flight.
Aviation security consultant Shannon Wandmaker told ABC News that measures such as storing the crash axe in the cockpit or locking it away should be reviewed. Airlines are generally required to carry crash axes in the cockpit for emergencies, according to the AP. Philip Baum of Coventry University said background checks differ by country and that there are limits on what can be shared, especially across borders.
FAQ: FlyDubai FZ1073 Attack
Did FlyDubai FZ1073 crash?
No. FlyDubai FZ1073 made an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, after a steep descent. Passengers later flew to Israel on another plane.
Has a motive been established?
Not yet. The UAE calls it a terrorist attack, but investigators have not announced a motive, Saudi Arabia’s preliminary findings gave none, and a Gulf diplomat told the AP no links to militant groups had been found.
Who is investigating?
The UAE is leading the investigation. Saudi Arabia carried out a preliminary investigation, and Israel and Australian counterterrorism investigators are also involved, according to reports from the AP, CNN, ABC News and The Arabian Post.
Looking Ahead
Watch for an official finding in the FlyDubai FZ1073 investigation on motive and whether the co-pilot acted alone, the results of Israel’s review of foreign aircrew checks, any explanation from FlyDubai of how he was hired, and any change to rules on cockpit crash axes or crew vetting. FlyDubai told the AP it could not comment beyond its official statements.
Sources
- Associated Press via PBS News — Ax-wielding FlyDubai co-pilot had been flagged over extremism concerns
- Associated Press via PBS News — UAE had shared details about FlyDubai flight with Israel
- Al Jazeera (Reuters) — What are the five questions being asked regarding the Flydubai attack?
- ABC News (Australia) — AFP confirms investigation of flydubai co-pilot’s Australian links
- ABC News — Suspect in FlyDubai incident was previously identified as security risk
- CNN — Co-pilot accused of trying to hijack Flydubai plane probably acted alone, Israeli sources say
- The Arabian Post — Saudi probe finds co-pilot assaulted flydubai captain
- The Arabian Post — Flydubai pilots transferred to UAE for questioning
- The National — UAE investigation to determine if flydubai incident was linked to ‘terrorist activity’
