NEW DELHI: The ministry of external affairs (MEA) on Saturday said flydubai pilot Captain Smit Machchhar was recovering well after he was attacked by his co-pilot during a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv. The MEA said Machchhar remained under “excellent medical care” and that it was in touch with his family and local authorities. “Indian braveheart Capt. Smit remains under excellent medical care & is recovering well. We are in touch with his family & local authorities, extending support for a speedy recovery. Our thanks to UAE gov. for their care. We join well-wishers in praying for his good health,” Indian embassy in UAE said in a post on X.
The attack took place on September 30 aboard flydubai flight FZ1073, which was bound for Tel Aviv. According to the UAE's state news agency WAM, citing attorney general counsellor Hamad Saif al-Shamsi, the Omani co-pilot, Hamam al-Hammami, attacked Machchhar with a cockpit crash axe while attempting to take control of the aircraft.
Co-pilot allegedly tried to seize control
The UAE attorney general said al-Hammami “attempted to carry out a terrorist act” and sought to seize command of the aircraft's piloting instruments while the plane was airborne. The assault triggered a violent struggle inside the cockpit, during which the aircraft reportedly lost about 16,000 feet in two minutes, according to reports on the incident. Machchhar, despite sustaining serious injuries, fought back and managed to unlock the cockpit door. Crew members, passengers and two off-duty pilots then entered the cockpit and helped overpower the co-pilot, allowing the aircraft to be stabilised. The flight subsequently made an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. All 180 people on board safely disembarked. A crash axe is a standard emergency tool kept in aircraft cockpits and is designed to help pilots cut through aircraft materials during emergencies.
UAE investigation underway
The UAE authorities are investigating the incident to establish the circumstances, motive and possible connections linked to the attack. “The conclusive findings will be made public immediately once all mandatory legal and administrative steps have successfully concluded,” al-Shamsi said, according to WAM. Investigators are also examining physical and digital evidence as part of the probe. Reports raise questions over co-pilot's background Media reports have also raised questions about al-Hammami's background and previous aviation career.
According to sources cited by CBS News and Al Arabiya English, al-Hammami had previously undergone pilot training with Oman Air. He was reportedly moved to desk duties after authorities detected visits to radical websites and later resigned around 2024. Reports also said he had previously been barred from flying in Oman over extremist concerns linked to an earlier stay in Syria. After moving to Dubai, he was hired by flydubai, with reports raising questions about whether the Omani government was formally involved in his background checks. CNN also reported that posts appeared on a LinkedIn profile associated with al-Hammami after the incident, including cockpit footage of an El Al aircraft and images of Al-Qaeda figures. The authenticity and circumstances surrounding those posts remain part of the broader scrutiny of the case. The UAE authorities have not yet released their final findings on the motive behind the attack or the circumstances that led to al-Hammami's actions. The investigation remains ongoing.
