A flydubai co-pilot allegedly used a crash axe to attack the pilot in an attempted hijacking of a flight bound for Israel.
What happened
According to UAE prosecutors, co-pilot Hamam al-Hammami used the emergency crash axe to stab pilot Smit Machchhar and try to take control of the cockpit. The incident, which occurred on September 30, has been deemed an attempted terrorist attack by the United Arab Emirates. Al-Hammami, a 29-year-old Omani national, allegedly tried to hijack the plane, causing it to plunge 18,000 feet before heroic passengers subdued him and took control of the aircraft.
Al-Hammami was previously banned from flying by Oman due to concerns that he had become radicalized. The UAE is leading the investigation into the incident.
