Omani flydubai co-pilot allegedly attacked captain, plane dropped 14,000 feet
A flydubai flight headed for Tel Aviv had a major scare when the Omani co-pilot, Hammam Al-Hammami, allegedly attacked Indian captain Smit Machchhar in the cockpit with a crash ax, causing the plane to drop 14,000 feet.
With no contact from the cockpit, Israel jumped into action, preparing fighter jets and even considering shooting down the plane if authorities believed it was likely to crash into a high-value target, such as the Azrieli buildings or Ben Gurion Airport.
Passengers and crew overpowered co-pilot
Passengers and crew managed to overpower Al-Hammami and regain control, so Israeli jets were later recalled after the passenger plane changed course toward Saudi Arabia.
The plane made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia, where Al-Hammami was initially questioned by Saudi authorities and is now being questioned in the United Arab Emirates.
Now, investigators are digging into his background, including his previous research on Israeli flights, as both Israel and the United Arab Emirates work together to figure out what really happened.