The co-pilot of flydubai flight FZ1073 attempted to carry out a “terrorist” attack during the flight, the United ​Arab Emirates prosecutor general said on Saturday (October 3, 2026), according to the state news ‌agency WAM.

The co-pilot was identified as Hammam al-Hammami, ​an Omani national, a source with direct knowledge of ⁠the matter told Reuters. UAE authorities did not immediately respond to a request for confirmation of his identity.

The co-pilot attacked the pilot inside the cockpit with ‌a crash axe and attempted to take control of the aircraft, the prosecutor general said.

A crash axe is typically ‌kept in the cockpit for use during emergencies such as ‌crashes.

Investigations ⁠are ongoing to determine the circumstances of the incident, ⁠the motives and any related connections, as well as to examine physical and digital evidence, he added.

UAE Prosecutor General Hamad Saif Al Shamsi’s comments were the first by ​Emirati authorities to describe ‌the incident as an attempted “terrorist” attack.

Disaster was averted on Wednesday (September 30, 2026) after passengers and crew subdued the co-pilot, who had attacked the captain in what Israeli officials said was an apparent attempt to ‌crash the plane carrying more than 170 passengers and crew.

A ​reserve Flydubai pilot travelling on the flight took control of the aircraft and landed it at Tabuk Airport ⁠in northwestern Saudi Arabia, where the co-pilot was detained by Saudi authorities.

Flydubai said the circumstances surrounding the incident were still under investigation and that ‌it was not in a position to comment further, a spokesperson said.

An Israeli government official told Reuters earlier that Israeli investigators would take part alongside Emirati authorities in the UAE-led investigation, which would examine what happened as well as the suspect’s motives and background.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Friday (October 2, 2026) that Israel was looking into ‌whether the co-pilot had acted under anyone’s direction, warning that anyone involved would ​pay a “heavy price”.

Mr. Netanyahu said on Thursday (October 1, 2026) that the co-pilot, whom he identified as an Omani national, had undergone radical ⁠Islamist indoctrination and appeared suicidal, though he said a motive had not yet ⁠been established. Most of the passengers on board were Israeli nationals.

The aircraft dropped about 16,625 feet in just over ‌30 seconds while flying over Saudi Arabia on its journey from the UAE to Israel, according to flight-tracking data from Flightradar24. The ​route is popular among Israeli travellers.

The flydubai co-pilot who stabbed Indian Captain Smit Machchhar and allegedly attempted to crash a Dubai–Tel Aviv flight on September 30, 2026, has been identified as Omani citizen Hamam al-Hammami, according to a U.S. media report.

“The alleged attacker is an Omani national named Hamam al-Hammami,” the Wall Street Journal report said. He had previously been barred from flying in Oman over concerns about his extremist views, multiple media outlets have reported.

Who is Hamam al-Hammami

Hamam al-Hammami was born to an Omani father and a Syrian mother, according to the WSJ report. Scrutiny into the alleged assailant al-Hammami and his motives has intensified after the drama aboard a Dubai-Tel Aviv route that officials say narrowly avoided catastrophe.

Al-Hammami was reportedly barred from flying previously by Omani authorities for his radical ideological views, the WSJ reported, quoting people familiar with the matter. The co-pilot was subsequently hired by the United Arab Emirates-based airline. It was not immediately clear to what extent he was vetted when he was hired in the Emirates.

Al Arabiya, citing an informed source, reported that Omani authorities determined that the co-pilot held extremist views. The broadcaster said he had also spent time in Syria, raising concerns he may have been influenced by radical groups there.

ABC News, citing senior intelligence and law enforcement officials familiar with the investigation, reported the suspect had allegedly been found in possession of extremist materials while he was a trainee.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the suspect had undergone “Islamist radical indoctrination” and had attempted to crash the plane.

A major aviation disaster was averted after ‌passengers and crew of on flydubai flight FZ1073 subdued the co-pilot, who had stabbed captain Machchhar in what was an apparent attempt to crash the plane. The jet, with 174 people on board, plunged nearly 14,000 ft (4,267 m) in less than 30 seconds in the incident.

Israeli officials to question al-Hammami

The co-pilot was detained by Saudi Arabian authorities after the flight landed at the Tabuk airport in northwestern Saudi Arabia. The co-pilot was transferred on Thursday (October 1, 2026) to the UAE, where the source said Israeli officials were expected to question him.

An Israeli government official told Reuters that ⁠Israeli investigators would take part in the UAE-led investigation alongside Emirati authorities, seeking to determine what happened and examine the suspect’s motives and background. But which Israeli agency or authority would take part in the questioning is yet to be known.

Meanwhile, Mr. Machchhar is undergoing treatment at a hospital in the UAE. He spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the phone, recounting the terrifying moments after being attacked. However, he did not disclose what triggered the attack on him or the motive of the co-pilot.

(With inputs from Agencies)

A catastrophic aviation disaster was averted on Wednesday (September 30, 2026) after the passengers and crew foiled a flydubai flight co-pilot’s attempt to crash the aircraft. The pilot who staved off the crash attempt was identified as Indian national Smit Machchhar, while an Israeli passenger made a dramatic intervention to steady the Dubai-Tel Aviv flight which landed in Saudi Arabia.

The passenger, identified as Yaniv by Israeli media, claimed that he knew some basic concepts about flying from watching the television programme, Air Crash Investigation!

How TV show helped a passenger 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who hailed Yaniv as a hero, spoke with the passenger after the ordeal. Netanyahu’s office released ‌a video ⁠showing the prime minister at Ben Gurion Airport giving a hug to Yaniv Hayun, who his office said “broke into” the cockpit. “I see you and I see a lion – a big hero,” Netanyahu told the man, who was still wearing the blood-stained shirt he had on during the flight. In the video that is now being widely circulated online, Yaniv is seen describing the events to the PM.

Recounting the incidents that happened on the cockpit of the fateful flight, the passenger said that he saw one pilot on the floor and the other over the controls. He said he grabbed the co-pilot by neck and yanked him out of the co-pilot. Then he jumped in and pulled the controls. When a visibly surprised Netanyahu asked whether he knew how to pull the controls, the passenger replied in the affirmative.

Mayday: Air Crash Investigation show

The Canadian TV documentary series Mayday, also known as Air Crash Investigation, chronicles flight-related disasters and crises, including air crashes, hijackings, bombings, and other aviation accidents. The show, which uses cockpit recordings and eyewitness testimony, features dramatic re-enactments of the events in the flight as it seeks to find out what really happened. First premiered in 2003, the series has 26 Seasons and is available to watch on JioHotstar in India.

What happened on flydubai flight cockpit

The flydubai flight FZ1073, travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv, had transmitted emergency signals and made a sharp descent before diverting to Prince Sultan Bin Abdel Aziz Airport in Tabuk. The flight was carrying 174 passengers, including 27 children.

The co-pilot’s attempt to crash the aircraft was foiled in the struggle that began when he stabbed the pilot and sent the jet plunging ​nearly 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds. Passengers and crew entered the cockpit, overpowered the co-pilot and enabled a second pair of flydubai pilots who were aboard the flight to land the jet ‌safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, Israeli officials said.

More than 10 hours later, the passengers arrived at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport aboard a flydubai replacement aircraft, with several describing the episode as a miracle and recounting a frantic struggle to prevent a catastrophe. Israeli officials said the attacker’s motive aboard flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv remained under investigation.

Israeli officials also applauded the passengers, ​who they credited with avoiding a much more serious disaster

Describing the event as “a serious security incident,” Prime Minister Netanyahu said Saudi authorities would interrogate ​the co-pilot.

Mr. Netanyahu also hailed the Indian Captain Smit Machchhar, who was wounded in an altercation with his copilot. Describing him as a “true hero”, Mr. Netanyahu said that “despite being stabbed and seriously injured, he fought back, resisted, opened the cockpit door, and enabled passengers and crew to overpower the attacker — preventing a catastrophic mid-air disaster.”

Flydubai said in a statement that the underlying reasons for the event remained unknown and warned against “premature speculation.” An Israeli official identified the co-pilot as an Omani national.

(With inputs from Reuters, PTI)