Overview
- The copilot attacked the captain with an onboard emergency axe and tried to take control of the Dubai–Tel Aviv Boeing during a flight on Wednesday, UAE prosecutors said, and the episode has been preliminarily classified as an attempted terrorist act.
- The captain, Smit Machchhar, was gravely injured but forced the cockpit open so crew and passengers could enter, subdue the attacker, and allow two off‑duty pilots to land the jet in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
- Investigators and flight trackers recorded a sudden loss of altitude of roughly 16,600–17,000 feet during the struggle, a descent that aviation specialists say brought the aircraft close to catastrophic loss of control.
- Sources identified the suspect as Hamam al‑Hammami, an Omani national now detained in Abu Dhabi after initial custody and medical treatment in Saudi Arabia, and authorities are probing his background and any external ties.
- Reporting shows Omani authorities had earlier barred him from flying over concerns about extremist views, a fact that has raised urgent questions about cross‑border vetting of pilots and what procedural reforms regulators may now demand.