The Omani co-pilot accused of attacking Indian Captain Smit Machchhar inside the cockpit of a Flydubai flight allegedly planned a 9/11 style attack by crashing the passenger aircraft into a building in Tel Aviv, according to reports.
The co-pilot, identified as Hammam al-Hammami, may have also shut down the aircraft’s engines after his alleged attempt to seize control of the plane was foiled, Italian newspaper Corriere Della Sera reported.
Purposely Chose Flydubai As It Flew To Tel Aviv
According to Israeli media reports, al-Hammami allegedly told investigators that he had planned to kill Machchhar inside the locked cockpit before taking control of the aircraft. Channel 13 reported that the alleged plot had been conceived even before he joined Flydubai, with the co-pilot reportedly choosing the airline because it operated flights to Israel.
“I looked into which airline flies to Tel Aviv. That’s why I chose Flydubai. I planned it even before I was accepted,” he reportedly told investigators. He also confirmed that he had a plan to kill the captain.
Earlier Foiled Attempt
Al-Hammami also allegedly said he had used previous trips to Israel to gather information and prepare for the attack. According to Israeli media reports, he had initially planned to carry out the attack in July but abandoned the plan at the last moment after becoming friendly with one of the crew members.
He allegedly planned to wait until the aircraft was over Jordan before attempting to take control, apparently to avoid raising an alarm and give himself sufficient time to carry out the attack. If he was unable to reach Israel, he had allegedly planned to crash the aircraft into a US military base in Jordan.
What Happened On Flydubai Flight FZ1073?
On September 30, al-Hammami allegedly attacked Captain Machchhar with a crash axe inside the cockpit of Flydubai flight FZ1073 and attempted to take control of the Boeing 737 MAX 8. The aircraft was carrying 174 passengers at the time.
During the struggle, the aircraft went into a steep descent from around 36,000 feet to nearly 17,000 feet in approximately two minutes. The extreme manoeuvre reportedly caused major structural stress and damaged parts of the aircraft’s rudder.
Despite being injured, Machchhar managed to open the cockpit door, allowing crew members and passengers to enter the flight deck and overpower the co-pilot. Two off-duty pilots who were travelling on the aircraft then took control of the plane and landed safely at Tabuk airport in Saudi Arabia. The passengers were later flown to Ben Gurion Airport.
Israeli media reports have also claimed that al-Hammami had visited Ben Gurion Airport several times in recent months while working for Flydubai. During a visit in June, he allegedly focused on gathering information and planning the attack.
Al-Hammami could face the death penalty in the UAE if convicted in connection with the alleged hijacking attempt. Israel’s Ynet, citing a senior Emirati source, reported that Abu Dhabi was seeking the harshest possible punishment. However, no formal sentence has been announced and the investigation remains underway.
Captain Machchhar has been praised for his actions during the incident, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump among those publicly commending his bravery.
Machchhar is currently recovering at a Dubai hospital after undergoing surgery and is reportedly out of danger. He has also spoken with Modi and Netanyahu about the incident and the sequence of events inside the cockpit.
