An inflight attack on Flight FZ1073 by copilot Hamam al-Hammami prompted a sharp 5,180-metre descent before making an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday after departing Dubai International Airport. Passengers subdued the suspect after Captain Smit Machchhar opened the cockpit door, leaving investigators examining security lapses and how the Omani copilot obtained his route.
About two and a half hours after Flight FZ1073 departed from Dubai International Airport at 7:05am on Wednesday, the aircraft plunged more than 5,180 meters in less than two minutes before executing an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia.
Copilot Attacks Captain With Axe Inside Flight FZ1073 Cockpit
The violent encounter began inside the flight deck when the copilot turned on the pilot. Media reports identified the flight deck crew as Captain Smit Machchhar and copilot Hamam al-Hammami. According to details shared with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by Machchhar, al-Hammami asked to pray before the assault. Just four or five minutes later, Machchhar absorbed a big blow
to the back of his head.
The prosecutor general of the United Arab Emirates confirmed that the attack was executed using the cockpit’s crash axe. Severely injured and bleeding, Machchhar managed to open the cockpit door. That opening allowed passengers to rush the flight deck and overpower the copilot.
Airlines Ignored Prior Security Warnings Against Hamam al-Hammami
The revelation that al-Hammami was permitted to fly despite prior security interventions has triggered intense scrutiny. Media reports identified al-Hammami as an Omani national. Sources told The Wall Street Journal that Omani authorities previously blocked him from flying in the country due to concerns regarding his ideological views. Regional diplomatic sources reported to CNN that he had also been removed from flight training and reassigned before losing a job at Oman’s national airline last year over concerns about his views. It remains unexplained how he secured assignment to the Flydubai route despite these red flags.
Passengers Subdue Attacker Using Knowledge From Television Show
Among the passengers who intervened was Yaniv Hayoun, a 50-year-old plumber who met with Netanyahu after returning. In a recorded video exchange, the prime minister asked Hayoun how he knew what to do at the flight controls before another pilot took over.
“I watch Air Crash Investigation, Mr Prime Minister.”
Yaniv Hayoun, via Aljazeera
Hayoun explained that he jumped back, grabbed the controls and started pulling back the handles just as he had observed on the Canadian television program analyzing aviation disasters. People on social media have questioned how a plumber managed aircraft controls during such a crisis.
Aircraft Survives 5,180-Metre Near-Vertical Dive Without Reported Injuries
Flight-tracking data from Flightradar24 verified that the jet executed a sharp descent, dropping more than 5,180 metres in under two minutes. Despite causing severe midair panic, publicly available data shows no reported injuries among the occupants. A flight instructor who tested the dive profile in a flight simulator noted that the aircraft would have exceeded its maximum structural speed, creating intense negative G-forces that would have hurled unsecured cabin items violently during recovery.
Netanyahu Warns Those Who Directed the Copilot
Because Israel and Oman do not maintain formal diplomatic relations, the flight’s presence drew immediate high-level government attention. Netanyahu warned that anyone involved in directing the copilot would pay a heavy price. Israeli daily Haaretz reported that government officials received crew and passenger rosters in advance, noting that domestic oversight of foreign flight crews landing in Israel falls to the Ministry of Transport and Road Safety’s Security Department alongside the Mossad intelligence agency.