Flydubai Co-Pilot Revealed to Have Planned Plane Attack Before Joining the Company
An investigation in the United Arab Emirates determined that the co-pilot had devised the attack on the Tel Aviv flight before joining the airline.
According to information shared by two Israeli officials, the co-pilot, who targeted the captain on a flydubai flight, confessed during questioning that he had planned the attack before joining the airline.
Interrogation Confession and Details of the Plan
According to information shared by two Israeli officials, the co-pilot who stabbed the captain on a flydubai flight confessed during questioning that he had planned the attack before joining the airline.
A third source briefed on the investigation in the United Arab Emirates stated that the Omani co-pilot planned to crash last Wednesday's flight into Ben-Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv.
Previous Flight Attempt and Course of Events
The same source stated that the suspect had previously operated a flight to Tel Aviv earlier this year, intending to hijack and crash the plane at that time, but abandoned that plan.
In the incident aboard flight FZ1073 operated by Dubai state-owned airline flydubai, it was reported that the co-pilot attacked the captain with an emergency axe.
Intervention by Passengers and Crew
In the incident, which the United Arab Emirates attorney general characterized as a terrorist attack, passengers and cabin crew intervened to neutralize the co-pilot and averted a potential disaster.
The captain, an Indian national named Smit Machchhar, survived the attack and drew praise for his heroism.
Detention Process and Safe Landing
A reserve flydubai pilot who took over the flight landed the aircraft in Saudi Arabia, where the co-pilot was detained and later transferred to the United Arab Emirates.
Within the scope of the investigation conducted by authorities, two different sources confirmed that the co-pilot who carried out the attack was Omani national Hamam al-Hammami.