The United Arab Emirates has formally described the dramatic incident aboard flydubai flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv as an attempted terrorist attack, stating that co-pilot Hamam Alhammami allegedly assaulted Captain Smit Machchhar with a cockpit crash axe and attempted to seize control of the aircraft.

According to investigators, Alhammami launched the attack while the Boeing 737 was cruising at around 34,000 feet, triggering a serious in-flight emergency aboard an aircraft carrying more than 170 passengers and crew, including 24 children.

A crash axe is standard emergency equipment carried in commercial aircraft cockpits under international aviation regulations.

The tool is intended for emergency situations, including gaining access through aircraft structures following accidents. Following the 9/11 attacks, such equipment was moved from passenger cabins to secured cockpit areas.

UAE prosecutors said the co-pilot attempted to take control of the aircraft after attacking the captain. Authorities have classified the incident as an attempted terrorist act and have launched a wider investigation into the suspect's motives, digital footprint and any potential links to extremist organisations. Investigators are also examining whether he acted alone or was influenced by a broader network.

The situation rapidly escalated as the aircraft entered a steep descent. Reports indicate the jet dropped from approximately 34,000 feet to around 15,600 feet, creating panic among passengers and crew.

Despite suffering severe injuries, Captain Machchhar reportedly managed to unlock the cockpit door, enabling cabin crew and passengers to intervene. Their actions helped overpower the attacker and prevent what officials and investigators believe could have become a catastrophic crash.

Video recorded inside the aircraft showed scenes of chaos, with the injured captain lying in a pool of blood while describing how he had been attacked by his co-pilot.

A passenger who was a dentist reportedly provided urgent medical assistance to Captain Machchhar while two relief flydubai pilots on board stepped in to assume control of the aircraft. The flight was subsequently diverted to Saudi Arabia, where it landed safely.

The UAE Attorney General's office stated that the investigation remains ongoing and that findings will be released once all necessary legal and forensic procedures have been completed. The UAE is leading the probe, with international cooperation expected from other interested authorities.

Alhammami has been identified as an Omani national. Reports emerging after the incident indicate that he had previously faced restrictions on flying duties in Oman amid concerns that he had adopted extremist views.

According to those reports, he worked as a co-pilot trainee with Oman Air in 2024 and was allegedly found in possession of extremist material. He was subsequently transferred to an administrative role before leaving the airline in February 2025.

He later joined Royal Air Maroc in June 2025 before departing in January 2026. He then joined flydubai, where he served for approximately eight months before the incident.

The revelations have raised questions about aviation sector background-screening procedures and how an individual reportedly flagged over extremist concerns was subsequently able to secure flight-deck positions with other carriers, including on the politically sensitive UAE-Israel route.

Additional reports have suggested that investigators are examining claims that Alhammami may have intended to crash the aircraft in Israel, although authorities have not yet released final conclusions regarding the full scope of his alleged plans.

Captain Machchhar's actions, alongside the intervention of crew members, passengers and relief pilots, have been widely credited with preventing one of the most serious aviation security incidents in recent years. Several passengers and officials have described the Indian captain as a hero for continuing to fight for control of the situation despite sustaining life-threatening injuries.

Agencies