Flydubai Co-pilot Tried to Seize Flight FZ1073 After Axe Attack on Captain, UAE Says
A Flydubai co-pilot attacked his captain with a cockpit crash axe during a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv on September 30, then tried to take the controls, sending the Boeing 737 MAX 8 into a steep plunge over Saudi Arabia. Passengers subdued the attacker and a standby pilot crew on board diverted the plane to Tabuk. On October 3, the UAE's prosecutor general labeled the incident an attempted "terrorist attack."
"A big blow to the back of my head"
According to Capt. Smit Machchhar's own account, the co-pilot asked to pray; Machchhar turned away out of respect, and "suddenly… after about four-five minutes, there was a big blow to the back of my head" — and the blows kept coming. UAE Prosecutor General Hamad Saif Al Shamsi said via state news agency WAM that the co-pilot "began executing his plan during the flight, attacking the captain inside the flight deck using a crash axe and attempting to take control of the aircraft." The crash axe is a standard cockpit emergency tool carried since the post-9/11 rule change. Early reports described the weapon as a knife; the UAE's October 3 statement is the current official finding.
A 16,625-foot plunge and a 7500 squawk
After the attack, the autopilot disconnected and the aircraft entered a steep descent — Flightradar24 data shows it lost about 16,625 feet in just over 30 seconds, and part of the rudder was torn away. The crew first squawked 7700 (general emergency), then 7500, the code for unlawful interference. Badly wounded, Machchhar used his remaining strength to open the cockpit door himself: he said the attacker had blocked the outside keypad code, so he used the twist-knob release from inside to let passengers and crew in.
Passengers wrestled him down; standby pilots landed the jet
Passenger Yaniv Hayun put the attacker in a headlock and pulled him from the captain's seat; other passengers and crew helped restrain him, and a dentist on board treated the wounded captain. A second crew of reserve pilots traveling on the flight took the controls and diverted to Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. Flight FZ1073 had been airborne about 2.5 hours of its Dubai–Tel Aviv run, with roughly 180 people on board, mostly Israeli nationals.
The captain: 10,000 hours, 11 years at SpiceJet
Machchhar, an Indian national from Mumbai, spent 11 years at SpiceJet as a senior commander and line training captain, logging nearly 10,000 flight hours before joining Flydubai as a direct-entry captain in June 2022. He suffered multiple stab and cut wounds, was airlifted to a hospital in Abu Dhabi, and is out of danger and recovering steadily. India's PM Modi spoke with him by video call; Israel's PM Netanyahu called him by phone.
The co-pilot: flagged for extremism, barred from flying
Media reports, citing sources with direct knowledge and diplomats, identify the co-pilot as Hamam al-Hammami, 29, an Omani national — an identity the UAE has not officially confirmed. Per AP's sources, Oman Air barred him from flying in 2024 after extremist material was found on his phone, moving him to an administrative role; Royal Air Maroc did not select him after a three-month pre-employment training course in 2025. He studied in Australia in 2015–2017, and the Australian Federal Police confirmed a Joint Counter Terrorism Team is investigating whether he was radicalized there. He deleted his Instagram account on the day of the flight. Detained in Tabuk by Saudi authorities, he was handed over to the UAE on October 1, which is leading the investigation; he is reportedly cooperating.
Terror label, but no group link found so far
The prosecutor general's office is investigating motive, possible connections, and digital evidence; formal charges have not been announced. Netanyahu said the attacker underwent "Islamist radicalization" and that Israel had averted "a 9/11 disaster," without providing evidence. But AP's diplomatic sources say investigators have so far found no connection to militant groups, leaving a lone-wolf theory open.
Flydubai suspended all flights to and from Israel on October 1 "while the investigation continues," with no resume date. El Al canceled its scheduled UAE services; Arkia operated repatriation flights, and Israeli carriers plan to resume Dubai services in November. Israel has asked Etihad to add Abu Dhabi–Tel Aviv capacity.