Overview
- On Sept. 30 the Omani co‑pilot allegedly attacked Captain Smit Machchhar with an emergency crash axe, the jet plunged thousands of feet, and crew, passengers and off‑duty pilots restrained the attacker before the plane made an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
- UAE prosecutors published findings saying the 29‑year‑old confessed to a suicide plan inspired by the September 11 attacks and that investigators trace his drift toward extremism to 2017 while he was in Melbourne, Australia.
- Prosecutors say the suspect used two earlier flights to Tel Aviv to familiarise himself with the route and Ben Gurion Airport as part of his preparations and that he chose aviation as a means to carry out the attack.
- The probe found he previously worked for Oman Air and had a short stint linked to Royal Air Maroc before joining flydubai in January 2026, and Emirati investigators say he met the airline’s standard recruitment and security checks without those checks revealing his intent.
- The suspect remains in UAE custody while Saudi aviation safety investigators, Israeli security agencies and other foreign authorities review recordings, forensics and possible accomplices and the case is pushing questions about how states and carriers share vetting warnings and store cockpit emergency tools.