The UAE prosecutor revealed that the Flydubai co-pilot used an emergency axe located in the cockpit to assault the captain, causing injury. The captain is now in stable condition and recovering well.
On Saturday, 3 Oct 2026 GMT+7, the Attorney General of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) provided an update on the Flydubai flight FZ 1073 incident from Dubai to Tel Aviv, Israel, confirming that the co-pilot used an emergency crash axe inside the cockpit to attack the captain in an attempt to take control of the aircraft.
About two hours after departure, flight FZ 1073 suddenly descended rapidly by 17,000 feet (5,200 meters) within less than two minutes, generating extreme G-forces, and transmitted an emergency signal Squawk 7500, indicating unlawful interference or an attempted hijacking.
Captain Samit Muschar, an Indian national, despite being injured in the assault, mustered strength to open the cockpit door from inside, enabling passengers and crew outside to enter and assist.
Reports state that a group of passengers stormed the cockpit and helped restrain the attacker. One passenger grabbed the attacker by the neck, dragged him out of the cockpit, and helped control the flight controls to stabilize the aircraft. Subsequently, two reserve pilots on board took over and safely made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia.
The attacker was immediately detained by Saudi Arabian police, while the injured captain was transferred for medical treatment in Abu Dhabi and is now stable and recovering well.
According to multiple media reports, the attacker is an Omani named Hamam Al-Hammami, who graduated in aviation management from the United Kingdom. He had been dismissed from the Oman Air pilot training program due to extremist views and was reassigned to another position.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the attacker had been indoctrinated with extremist Islamic ideology. After being subdued, the attacker shouted, “Kill me, kill me!” indicating suicidal intent and a plan to crash the plane. Thanks to the bravery of the captain, passengers, and reserve crew, a disaster on the scale of 9/11 was averted.
UAE authorities are conducting a thorough investigation into whether this incident is connected to terrorist networks.
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Source:bbc