dailynewsnblog
Unknown to passengers onboard the 
flydubai flight 1073 on September 30, one of its pilots had been planning a sinister plot to fly the aircraft and crash it into Tel Aviv Ben Gurion Airport (TLV). The co-pilot on board the flight, Haman al-Hammami, is now facing accusations of attacking the plane’s pilot with a crash axe and attempting to hijack the plane.
The incident, which occurred during a routine flight from 
Dubai International Airport (DXB) to Tel Aviv, resulted in a dramatic loss of altitude, with many capturing the event unfolding on social media. The captain, who fortunately made a quick move to unlock the cockpit door, enabled other passengers to step in and restrain al-Hammami before an off-duty pilot took over control of the aircraft.
Intelligence Gathering For The Planned Attack
The Times of Israel has suggested that al-Hammami had been planning a 9/11 style terrorist attack on Tel Aviv for some time, and had used his position at the Dubai-based airline to collect intelligence to support his plans for the attack. According to a report in MSN, one local news agency claimed he specifically sought a job with Flydubai to carry out the attack.
The alleged hijacking has been labeled a terrorist act by the United Arab Emirates attorney-general, and since his detainment, it has been discovered that al-Hammami had extremist materials and had posted previous disturbing images on his social media platforms. Al-Hammami is a 29-year-old Omani national who was born in the United Arab Emirates. He was suspended as a trainee copilot for Oman Air two years ago, and it is believed he went through Islamist radical indoctrination in his earlier life.
Passengers recall the incident onboard FZ1073, with Asaf Rajuan describing the experience to the New York Times:
“We didn’t know if the pilot was with us or not, we didn’t know who was against whom. We even started suspecting the flight attendants. Underneath us was only desert. We were afraid we were being taken to a hostile country.”
FZ1073: A Regular Flight From Dubai To Tel Aviv Takes A Sinister Turn
Almost a week ago, the Flydubai service from Dubai to Tel Aviv departed for its routine flight to the Israeli airport. Data from ch-aviation shows the aircraft was a 3.9-year-old Boeing 737 MAX 8, which had been first delivered to the airline in December 2022. Aircraft details below:
Aircraft Registration | A6-FKF |
|---|---|
Serial Number (MSN) | 61013 |
Hex Code | 8965D1 |
First Test Flight Date | November 26, 2022 |
Delivery Date | December 21, 2022 (Flydubai) |
Configuration | 12 Business Class, 162 Economy Class |
The plane had pushed back from Dubai at 7:05 AM and had a total of 174 passengers onboard and six crew. Two hours into the three-hour and 45-minute flight, it is believed that al-Hammami suddenly attacked the pilot using the cockpit’s crash axe. This led to the plane entering a sharp dive and plummeting 18,000 feet (5,486 m). Passengers were left fearing for their lives.
The pilot, Smit Machchhar, wrestled al-Hammami and was able to open the cockpit door to alert the rest of the aircraft to what was occurring. Passengers and other crew members rushed to Machchhar’s aid and were able to restrain al-Hammami. Fortunately, an off-duty pilot was onboard and was able to take control of the aircraft and land in Saudi Arabia.
Israel Scrambled Military Aircraft In Response To Flydubai Incident
Onboard the flight, the majority of passengers were Israeli, and the aircraft had transmitted an unlawful interference signal (7500). This alerted the Israeli military, and aircraft were scrambled. The transponder was then switched to emergency code (7700) before landing safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
Following the incident, Machchhar has been in hospital and is recovering well. The Indian embassy noted he was in good health, and he has been hailed for his courage in the face of this terrifying ordeal.
Both Israel and the United Arab Emirates have launched investigations into the attempted attack.
