Australia Probes Flydubai Co-Pilot's 2015-17 Links After 17,000-Foot Dive
Updated
Updated · bbc.co.uk · Oct 4
Australia Probes Flydubai Co-Pilot's 2015-17 Links After 17,000-Foot Dive
3 articles · Updated · bbc.co.uk · Oct 4
Summary
Australian federal police said they are investigating the Flydubai co-pilot's links to Australia after he allegedly attacked the captain with a crash axe on a Dubai-Tel Aviv flight.
The Sept. 30 assault sent the plane plunging 17,000 feet about 2.5 hours into the journey before passengers overpowered the co-pilot and two reserve pilots landed safely in Saudi Arabia.
Australian media reported the Omani co-pilot held a student visa issued in 2014, studied in Australia from 2015 to 2017, and had that visa canceled in 2019 after he was no longer enrolled.
UAE prosecutors said they are investigating the circumstances, motives and any links tied to what they described as an attempted terrorist act, while Saudi authorities continue questioning the co-pilot.
The case has widened scrutiny of his background after reports that Oman Air removed him from flight training over radical views before he later worked for Flydubai.
How did a co-pilot previously flagged for extremism bypass security vetting to take control of a commercial flight?
What hidden security gaps force ordinary passengers to physically fight a radicalized pilot to save a plunging aircraft?
Was the cockpit axe attack a lone wolf's mental break, or part of a larger, undetected terror network?
The 2026 Flydubai Flight FZ1073 Cockpit Attack: How a Radicalized Co-Pilot Nearly Caused Catastrophe and Exposed Global Aviation Security Failures
Overview
On September 30, 2026, Omani co-pilot Hammam al-Hammami attacked Captain Smit Machchhar inside the cockpit of Flydubai Flight FZ1073, causing the plane to plunge dangerously and suffer severe damage. Despite his injuries, Captain Machchhar managed to unlock the cockpit door, allowing passengers and crew to enter, subdue the co-pilot, and secure the cockpit. Off-duty relief pilots then stabilized the aircraft and safely landed it in Saudi Arabia. The incident triggered an international investigation and exposed major gaps in airline vetting and security protocols, prompting Israel to tighten border and crew screening measures and leading Flydubai to suspend flights to and from Israel.