Flydubai cockpit attack raises five security questions after emergency landing

October 4, 2026 at 06:11 PM2 min

This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.

A Flydubai copilot attacked the captain with a crash axe on Flight FZ1073 from Dubai, forcing an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia. Passengers subdued the copilot after the captain opened the cockpit door. Investigators are now examining how the copilot was cleared to fly despite prior security concerns.

Key Facts

Flight FZ1073 departed Dubai International Airport on Wednesday and made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia after a sharp descent about two and a half hours into the flight.
The copilot, identified by media as Hamam al-Hammami, attacked Captain Smit Machchhar with the cockpit's crash axe, according to the UAE prosecutor general.
Omani authorities previously blocked al-Hammami from flying in Oman over ideological concerns, and he was removed from a job at Oman's national airline last year, according to The Wall Street Journal and CNN.
Passenger Yaniv Hayoun, a 50-year-old plumber, helped subdue the copilot and stabilised the plane before reserve pilots took over, saying he had watched the show Air Crash Investigation.

The Attack

About two and a half hours after Flight FZ1073 departed Dubai International Airport on Wednesday, the aircraft went into a sharp descent before making an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia. Media reports said the copilot attacked Captain Smit Machchhar, and the UAE prosecutor general stated the attack was carried out with the cockpit's crash axe. Passengers overpowered the copilot, identified by media as Hamam al-Hammami, after Machchhar managed to open the cockpit door during the attack.

Security Vetting Questions

Al-Hammami has been identified as an Omani national, according to media reports. The Wall Street Journal quoted unnamed sources saying Omani authorities previously blocked the suspect from flying in the country due to concerns over his ideological views. CNN reported, quoting a regional diplomatic source, that the copilot had also been removed from flight training over similar concerns and was later reassigned to another position. CNN added, quoting two sources familiar with the matter, that the pilot was removed from a job at Oman's national airline last year over concerns about his views.

Passenger Intervention

One of those who subdued al-Hammami was Yaniv Hayoun, whom Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described as a plumber. In a video with Netanyahu, who met him at the airport, Hayoun, 50, was asked how he knew what to do at the plane's controls before another pilot took control. Hayoun said: "I watch Air Crash Investigation, Mr Prime Minister," and described pulling back the handles as he had seen in the Canadian investigation show.