A Flydubai co-pilot accused of attacking his captain with an emergency axe during an Israel-bound flight had previously been grounded in Oman over extremist concerns. The September 30, 2026, incident forced an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia as international investigators examine potential security screening lapses.
What began as a scheduled journey across the Middle East transformed into a harrowing mid-air struggle inside the flight deck of Flight FZ1073. The Boeing 737, carrying 182 people on board according to Yahoo reporting (though official Saudi figures later tallied 174 passengers and an eight-member crew), was en route from Dubai to Tel Aviv on September 30, 2026. Inside the cockpit, the co-pilot launched a sudden physical assault on the captain, deploying a crash axe and attempting to seize control of the aircraft’s flight systems while flying over Saudi airspace.
The aircraft plunged into a steep descent, dropping 5.3 kilometers as chaos unfolded overhead. Despite sustaining severe injuries, the wounded pilot managed to unlock the cabin door before collapsing, enabling passengers and crew to flood the flight deck, restrain the attacker, and allow off-duty pilots traveling as passengers to stabilize the aircraft.
Hamam al-Hammami and the Prior Flight Ban in Oman
Investigators have identified the co-pilot as Hamam al-Hammami, an Omani national. Reporting indicates that al-Hammami had previously been flagged as a security risk while working as a co-pilot trainee for Oman Air in 2024, after extremist materials were discovered in his possession. Oman subsequently barred him from flying before he eventually joined Flydubai.
Al-Hammami underwent standard pre-employment security checks upon applying to Flydubai, though the depth of those background screenings remains under intense scrutiny. Public profile records indicate he spent several years at Oman Air before brief stints with other regional operators prior to his hiring.
A LinkedIn profile bearing his name shows a career path that included seven years at Oman Air before his departure in February 2025, followed by a tenure with Royal Air Maroc starting in June 2025 and ending in January of the following year. Meanwhile, Israeli authorities confirmed to Haaretz that passenger and crew manifests for the Flydubai flight were transmitted to Tel Aviv before it departed.
Emergency Landing in Tabuk and Immediate Aftermath
The flight diverted safely to Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Tabuk, touching down at 9:45 AM local time on September 30, 2026. Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Interior noted that passengers were provided care and subsequently transferred to a replacement Flydubai aircraft that same evening to complete their journey.
The injured flight captain, identified as Indian national Smit Machchhar, and his assistant were hospitalized in Saudi Arabia. Following medical treatment and stabilization, both men were cleared and flown to Abu Dhabi on October 1, 2026, accompanied by a visiting security team from the United Arab Emirates.
UAE Calls Event Attempted Terrorist Operation
The United Arab Emirates has described the event as an attempted terrorist operation. While preliminary U.S. and Israeli security assessments suggest the co-pilot acted alone as a “lone wolf” inspired by online extremist content rather than a foreign government directive, formal investigations remain active.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pointed out that Israel maintains strict protocols regarding foreign aircrews from non-diplomatic nations and would review existing regulatory loopholes. Flydubai has suspended all scheduled flights between Dubai and Tel Aviv indefinitely in the wake of the attack.
Reflecting on the incident, an aviation veteran observed that impenetrable cockpit doors have inadvertently shifted vulnerabilities directly onto the flight crew itself.
