The Omani co-pilot who attacked flydubai flight FZ1073 captain Smit Machchhar on September 30 had planned to crash it at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, the top prosecutor of the United Arab Emirates said on Friday.
His target was the passenger terminal of Tel Aviv’s international airport. The co-pilot allegedly attacked the captain with an emergency crash axe and attempted to seize control of the aircraft. The 29-year-old co-pilot , identified as Hamam al-Hammami by foreign media, had allegedly prepare din advance to seize control of the flydubai aircraft and use it in a suicide attack. The Omani national had drawn inspiration from the September 11, 2001, attacks on the US World Trade Centre’s Twin Towers, which killed hundreds of people, according to his confession shared by investigators. READ | The Relentless 45-Minute Fight By Dentist To Save flydubai’s Hero Pilot Earlier reporting noted: According to the UAE state news agency WAM, Attorney General Hamad Saif Al Shamsi said the findings emerged from an investigation launched on October 1 into the September 30 incident involving Flydubai flight FZ1073. Earlier reporting noted: The September 30 incident ended with an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia. Earlier reporting noted: The incident caused the jet to plunge 16,000 feet in 30 seconds, according to the account provided in reports on the investigation.
UAE prosecuters ar further investigating the attack. Evidence, recordings, and technical reports are being examined to determine whether there were any accomplices or wider links.
READ | Opinion | flydubai Hijack, And How Syria’s Descent Into ‘Jihadism’ Has Now Become Everyone’s Problem In his confession in the presence of his lawyer, investigators said, the suspect said he acted alone.
A returning flight captain, a crew member and several passengers intervened to rescue captain Smit Machchhar and subsequently subdued the suspect. Control of the aircraft was then restored and the flight was diverted safely to Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia. Captain Machchhar was seriously wounded in the attack, but he was rescued when passengers pushed open the cockpit door and intervened.
UAE further said the co-pilot started developing extremist views in 2017 when he was studying in Australia. He used two previous flights to Tel Aviv to study the route and the airport before making the attempt to crash the flydubai flight on September 30, the investigation found. On September 30, the day of the planned attack, the Omani citizen allegedly attacked the captain inside the cockpit with its emergency axe. Passengers described rushing the cockpit and a fight for control after the plane suddenly plunged by around 17,000 feet.
