The UAE attorney general said the co-pilot of Flydubai Flight FZ1073 attacked the captain with the cockpit crash axe and tried to take control of the aircraft. The plane landed safely in Saudi Arabia after passengers and crew intervened and reserve pilots took control. As of October 3, 2026, officials had not announced final findings on motive or possible connections.
What happened aboard Flight FZ1073?
Flydubai Flight FZ1073 left Dubai for Tel Aviv on September 30, 2026. According to the UAE attorney general, the co-pilot attacked the captain with the cockpit crash axe and attempted to take control of the aircraft. UAE authorities characterized the alleged act as a terrorist attack.
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The captain and co-pilot were injured. Passengers and crew intervened, and reserve pilots aboard took control. The aircraft diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, where it landed safely. The Associated Press reported that 182 people were aboard.
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How did the aircraft descend, and what happened during the diversion?
In a timeline based on flight-tracking records, the Associated Press reported that the aircraft descended from 34,000 feet to 16,600 feet in about 90 seconds, later reaching 15,000 feet. Those figures describe this flight’s reported path, not a general measure of aircraft performance or safety.
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The AP timeline also records the aircraft transmitting emergency squawk code 7700, followed by 7500, the code for unlawful interference. The plane then diverted to Tabuk, where the reserve pilots landed it safely.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Who is the co-pilot named in reports?
The Associated Press, citing three people familiar with the matter, including Gulf and Western diplomats who spoke anonymously, identified the accused as Hamam al-Hammami and reported that he is an Omani national. Al Jazeera also reported that his identity had not been officially confirmed. The UAE authorities had not publicly confirmed his identity as of October 3, 2026, so he should not be described as officially identified.
The AP reported that Royal Air Maroc said he completed a three-month theoretical training period in 2025 but was not selected for employment. Buckinghamshire New University said he completed a distance-learning aviation-management course and did not undertake pilot training there. These limited statements do not establish his full qualifications or employment history. Reports of alleged extremist views have been attributed to officials or anonymous sources; the reports reviewed did not provide details substantiating those claims.
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Was the captain trained in New Zealand?
The reports reviewed describe Captain Smit Machchhar as Indian, but do not establish that he trained in New Zealand. The wording that the captain was “NZ-trained” should therefore not be treated as a confirmed fact. The available reporting also does not provide a complete account of his training history.
What remains under investigation?
As of October 3, 2026, the UAE attorney general said investigators were examining the circumstances of the incident, its motive, possible connections, and physical and digital evidence. Final findings had not been announced. The official characterization of the alleged act is distinct from the unresolved questions about motive, planning, and whether anyone else was connected.
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