International
oi-Madhuri Adnal
The flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv may have come even closer to disaster than previously known. An investigation by Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, cited by Ynet News, has suggested that Omani co-pilot Hammam al-Hammami may have tried to bring down the Boeing 737 in the Saudi desert after an alleged attempt to crash it in Israel failed.
Al-Hammami is accused of attacking Indian Captain Smit Machchhar inside the cockpit with a crash axe before trying to take control of the aircraft. Despite being injured, the captain reportedly managed to activate a switch that allowed the cockpit door to be opened, giving passengers an opportunity to enter and intervene.
An investigation suggests Flydubai co-pilot Hammam al-Hammami attacked Captain Smit Machchhar and attempted to crash the Dubai-Tel Aviv flight in the Saudi desert after a failed attempt in Israel, possibly by cutting engine fuel supply.
The investigation claims that the aircraft then went into a steep dive after the autopilot was disconnected. The plane reportedly dropped about 16,000 feet in less than a minute, raising fears that the co-pilot was trying to force it towards the Saudi desert.
Did the co-pilot try to shut down the engines?
One of the most significant new claims in the investigation is that al-Hammami may have tried to cut the fuel supply to the aircraft’s engines.
Two Boeing 737 captains who reviewed videos recorded during the flight reportedly noticed something unusual: the emergency lights inside the cabin suddenly came on while the aircraft was still in the air.
Those lights are normally used during an evacuation or when an aircraft is on the ground. According to the investigation, they can also come on if the aircraft loses its main electrical power and switches to battery power.
That can happen if the aircraft’s engines or generators stop supplying power.
The pilots therefore suggested that investigators examine whether the engine fuel switches had been moved from the “Run” position to “Cutoff”.
There is no official confirmation yet that the co-pilot actually shut down the engines.
Corriere della Sera said its investigation drew on passenger accounts, reports submitted by the flight crew, information from airport workers and air traffic controllers, as well as other sources familiar with the incident. Videos recorded during the flight were also examined with the help of Boeing 737 pilots.
The new findings follow earlier reports that al-Hammami may have been planning to hijack the aircraft and crash it in Israel.
Reports cited by The Times of Israel said the co-pilot allegedly planned to first incapacitate the captain, take control of the aircraft and then crash it into a facility or aircraft at Ben Gurion Airport.
The alleged plan was to keep the flight operating normally for as long as possible before making a final move, in an attempt to avoid raising suspicion among the crew, passengers or authorities.
Al-Hammami has reportedly been detained and questioned by authorities in the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Reports have also claimed that he told investigators he wanted to crash the aircraft in Israel and was not afraid of dying.
Al-Hammami is an Omani national who reportedly spent significant periods outside Oman, including time in Syria, where his mother was from.
Reports have also alleged that extremist material was found in his possession while he was working for Oman Air in 2024. He was subsequently reportedly barred from flying in Oman over concerns about his extremist views.
The UAE has described the incident as an attempted terrorist act. Sources cited by the Emirates News Agency (WAM) said the co-pilot attacked the captain with an emergency axe and tried to take control of the aircraft.
