Co-pilot's flight hijack attempt was to replicate 9/11 attack: Investigators
What's the story
Hammam al-Hammani, the flydubai co-pilot who attempted to hijack a Dubai-Tel Aviv flight last week, had planned a 9/11-style attack. Investigators say he intended to kill Captain Smit Machchhar and crash the aircraft into a building in Tel Aviv or another plane at Ben Gurion Airport. The initial Israeli investigation found that al-Hammani acted alone in this plot.
Attack details
Planned to crash plane into building or another aircraft
Al-Hammani, a 29-year-old Omani national, reportedly planned to kill Machchhar secretly and shut down the aircraft's engines.
He intended to continue Flight 1073 normally after disposing of the captain and then crash into a building in Tel Aviv or a plane at Ben Gurion Airport.
On September 30, he attacked Machchhar with a crash ax in the cockpit of their Boeing 737 MAX 8.
Near-crash
Aircraft plunged from 36,000 feet to nearly 17,000 feet
During the struggle, the aircraft plunged from 36,000 feet to nearly 17,000 feet in just two minutes. This steep descent caused extreme structural stress and stripped parts of the plane's rudder.
There were 174 passengers on board at that time.
The disaster was averted when an injured Machchhar managed to open the cockpit door, allowing crew members and passengers to breach the flight deck and overpower al-Hammani.
Pre-attack reconnaissance
Al-Hammani had visited Ben Gurion Airport several times
Al-Hammani had reportedly visited Ben Gurion Airport several times in recent months while working for flydubai.
During a visit in June, he focused on gathering information and planning the attack.
He had initially planned to carry out the attack in July but abandoned it at the last moment because of his friendship with a crew member.
Legal proceedings
Al-Hammani could face death penalty
Al-Hammani is currently under arrest in the UAE and could face the death penalty for his actions.
Israel's Ynet reported that Abu Dhabi is seeking capital punishment, although no formal sentence has been announced yet.
The investigation into this incident is still ongoing.
Earlier, Israel's Transportation Ministry stated that it does not conduct background checks on pilots of foreign airlines, making such flights not "100%" safe.