Flydubai Co-Pilot Allegedly Planned 9/11-Style Attack On Tel Aviv Flight: Investigators

Flydubai co-pilot Hammam al-Hammani allegedly planned to kill the captain, hijack the aircraft and crash it into a skyscraper in Tel Aviv, according to investigators probing last week’s cockpit attack on a Dubai-Tel Aviv flight.

An initial Israeli investigation found that the 29-year-old Omani national acted alone in the alleged plot, CBS News reported. Al-Hammani is currently under arrest and being questioned in the UAE.

Co-Pilot Allegedly Planned To Crash Plane Into Building

Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera reported that al-Hammani planned to secretly kill Captain Smit Machchhar, shut down the aircraft’s engines and crash the plane into a building in Tel Aviv on September 30.

According to Israeli media reports, al-Hammani told investigators that he intended to continue Flight 1073 normally after disposing of the captain. He allegedly planned to obtain landing clearance before crashing the aircraft into a building or another plane at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv.

Investigators believe he planned to wait until the aircraft was over Jordan before attempting to seize control. This was apparently intended to avoid raising the alarm and give him enough time to carry out the attack.

Co-Pilot Attacked Indian Captain With Crash Axe

On September 30, al-Hammani allegedly attacked Machchhar, an Indian pilot, with a crash axe inside the cockpit.

During the struggle, the Boeing 737 MAX 8 descended sharply from around 35,000 feet to 16,000 feet in about two minutes. The rapid descent caused extreme structural stress and stripped parts of the aircraft’s rudder.

There were 174 passengers on board the flight.

The situation was brought under control after the injured Machchhar managed to open the cockpit door. Crew members and passengers then entered the flight deck and overpowered al-Hammani.

Two off-duty pilots travelling as passengers subsequently took control of the aircraft and landed safely at Tabuk airport in Saudi Arabia. The passengers were later flown to Ben Gurion Airport.

Investigation Into Alleged Attack Plan Continues

Israeli media reported that al-Hammani had visited Ben Gurion Airport several times in recent months while working for flydubai. During a visit in June, he allegedly focused on gathering information and preparing for the attack.

He had reportedly planned to carry out the attack in July but abandoned the plan at the last moment because he was friends with a member of the crew, according to Israeli media.

The investigation remains ongoing, with authorities examining al-Hammani’s movements, alleged motive and preparations for the attack.