ABU DHABI(Realist English). UAE Prosecutor General Hamad Saif Al Shamsi announced on October 3, 2026, that the investigation into the incident on Flydubai flight FZ1073 revealed signs of preparation for a “terrorist attack.” This is the first official confirmation of the version previously voiced by Israeli officials.
Official version of the investigation
According to the Emirati prosecutor’s office, the co-pilot “began carrying out a plan for a terrorist attack” during the flight. He attacked the aircraft commander in the cockpit using an emergency axe (crash axe) and attempted to seize the aircraft controls.
The emergency axe is standard equipment in the cockpit of medium and large aircraft, intended for emergency opening of the fuselage or panels during evacuation. Its use as a weapon of attack confirms the premeditated nature of the actions.
The Prosecutor General emphasized that the investigation continues to establish all circumstances and motives, as well as possible connections. Physical and digital evidence is being examined.
Timeline and the captain’s role
The incident occurred on September 30, 2026, on a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv. There were 174 people on board, predominantly Israeli citizens. After the attack, the aircraft sent a distress signal, then switched to code 7500, indicating hijacking.
According to Flightradar24, the airliner lost about 14,000 feet (more than 4,200 meters) in less than 30 seconds. Passengers described it as a “roller coaster.”
A key role in preventing the catastrophe was played by Captain Smit Machchhar, an Indian citizen. Despite serious wounds, he opened the cockpit door, allowing passengers and crew members to enter and subdue the attacker. One of the passengers pulled out the co-pilot, after which two reserve pilots who were on board as passengers took over the controls and landed the plane in Tabuk (Saudi Arabia).
Identity of the suspect and troubling background
According to ABC News and The Wall Street Journal, the suspect has been identified as 29-year-old Omani citizen Hamam al-Hammami. His mother is Syrian, and he himself was born in the UAE.
A key detail: according to sources, in 2024 he was suspended from flying at Oman Air after extremist materials were discovered. He was transferred to an administrative position, then left Oman and was hired by Flydubai approximately a year before the incident.
It is also reported that he spent considerable time in Syria, where he presumably came under the influence of extremist ideas. Israeli Channel 12, citing investigators, reported that he underwent indoctrination into “Al-Qaeda” ideology.
Reaction and questions
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu previously stated that the attacker had “undergone radical Islamist indoctrination” and displayed suicidal intentions, shouting “kill me” to the crew. Israeli officials rule out the version of mental illness.
The main unresolved question: how a person suspended from flying in one country due to extremist views gained access to the cockpit of a plane flying to Israel — a country with which Oman has no diplomatic relations.
Israel states that it has agreements with foreign carriers barring pilots from countries without diplomatic relations with the Jewish state from entering its airspace.
The investigation continues. The suspect has been transferred from Saudi Arabia to the UAE and, according to ABC News, is cooperating with the investigation, stating his intention to crash the plane in Israel.
