Flydubai Co-Pilot Hamam al-Hammami Uses Crash Axe in Cockpit Attack Against Captain Smit Machchhar

Flydubai Co-Pilot Attacks Captain with Emergency Crash Axe

A horrific incident unfolded mid-air on a Flydubai flight when co-pilot Hamam al-Hammami tried to hijack the plane by stabbing Indian pilot Smit Machchhar. Captain Smit fought bravely and saved 170 people on board. The flight was on its way to Tel Aviv, Israel, when the attack occurred.

New details reveal that Smit Machchhar was stabbed in an attempted hijacking. The United Arab Emirates stated that the suspect used an emergency crash axe in the terrorist operation. The incident took place at around 9 a.m. on September 30, 2026, when Flydubai Flight FZ1073 gave a hijacking signal in Israel, alerting local authorities, Reuters, CNN, and the Israeli outlet N12.

The flight landed safely in Saudi Arabia after diverting from its route with the intention of the co-pilot being to hijack and crash the plane. During the incident, pilot Smit opened the cockpit door to get help, and people came to the rescue. Subsequently, a team of pilots took control of the stabber and the aircraft.