The Omani co-pilot accused of attacking his captain and trying to bring down a flydubai passenger jet told investigators that he wanted to deliberately crash the aircraft and was "not afraid of death," according to the Wall Street Journal, citing a Saudi official briefed on his interrogation.
The revelation marks the most chilling development yet in the investigation into the September 30 cockpit attack aboard flydubai Flight 1073, bound for Tel Aviv.
What investigators say happened
Hamam al-Hammami, 29, an Omani national, allegedly attacked Captain Smit Machchhar inside the cockpit with a crash axe before attempting to take control of the aircraft. The plane plunged more than 16,000 feet in around 30 seconds before the injured captain managed to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers and crew to enter and overpower the co-pilot. Two off-duty pilots travelling on the flight helped stabilise and land the aircraft in Saudi Arabia.
The UAE attorney general has said the co-pilot attempted to carry out a terrorist act. Authorities in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Israel are examining whether al-Hammami acted alone or had links to outside groups, with particular attention on whether he had any connection to Iran.
Questions over how he reached the cockpit
The investigation has now turned to how al-Hammami was allowed back into a commercial cockpit despite a troubled history. The Wall Street Journal reported that his first aviation employer, the state-owned carrier Oman Air, barred him from flight duties after discovering his visits to extremist websites. People briefed on his background said he subsequently went through a deradicalisation programme and was assigned desk duties.
After leaving Oman Air, he found work in the UAE, and flydubai hired him in February 2026. It remains unclear what information the airline had about his earlier history, or whether Oman was ever asked to provide it. The Journal reported that Oman received no requests from other countries for information to vet him for employment.
Investigators are also examining the period al-Hammami spent in Syria. Born to an Omani father and a Syrian mother, he spent part of his youth in Syria during the civil war, when Islamist rebels were fighting the government of Bashar al-Assad.
Separate reporting by CBS News, carried by The Hindu BusinessLine, claims that al-Hammami had visited Ben Gurion Airport multiple times before the incident and had planned the crash, adding that although he holds Omani citizenship, he was not born in Oman and spent most of his upbringing outside the country. His deleted social media activity — with more than 3,000 screenshots reportedly preserved in internet archives — is also under scrutiny.
All of these claims remain allegations reported by the respective outlets and investigators; no court has yet established the full facts of the case.
Sources:
The Hindu BusinessLine: Flydubai's Omani co-pilot visited Ben Gurion Airport multiple times, planned crash
Hindustan Times: Flydubai co-pilot's chilling 'not afraid of death' confession
Times Now: Flydubai Attack Probe: Co-Pilot 'Wanted To Crash Jet', Said He Was 'Not Afraid Of Death'
The revelation marks the most chilling development yet in the investigation into the September 30 cockpit attack aboard flydubai Flight 1073, bound for Tel Aviv.
What investigators say happened
Hamam al-Hammami, 29, an Omani national, allegedly attacked Captain Smit Machchhar inside the cockpit with a crash axe before attempting to take control of the aircraft. The plane plunged more than 16,000 feet in around 30 seconds before the injured captain managed to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers and crew to enter and overpower the co-pilot. Two off-duty pilots travelling on the flight helped stabilise and land the aircraft in Saudi Arabia.
The UAE attorney general has said the co-pilot attempted to carry out a terrorist act. Authorities in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Israel are examining whether al-Hammami acted alone or had links to outside groups, with particular attention on whether he had any connection to Iran.
Questions over how he reached the cockpit
The investigation has now turned to how al-Hammami was allowed back into a commercial cockpit despite a troubled history. The Wall Street Journal reported that his first aviation employer, the state-owned carrier Oman Air, barred him from flight duties after discovering his visits to extremist websites. People briefed on his background said he subsequently went through a deradicalisation programme and was assigned desk duties.
After leaving Oman Air, he found work in the UAE, and flydubai hired him in February 2026. It remains unclear what information the airline had about his earlier history, or whether Oman was ever asked to provide it. The Journal reported that Oman received no requests from other countries for information to vet him for employment.
Investigators are also examining the period al-Hammami spent in Syria. Born to an Omani father and a Syrian mother, he spent part of his youth in Syria during the civil war, when Islamist rebels were fighting the government of Bashar al-Assad.
Separate reporting by CBS News, carried by The Hindu BusinessLine, claims that al-Hammami had visited Ben Gurion Airport multiple times before the incident and had planned the crash, adding that although he holds Omani citizenship, he was not born in Oman and spent most of his upbringing outside the country. His deleted social media activity — with more than 3,000 screenshots reportedly preserved in internet archives — is also under scrutiny.
All of these claims remain allegations reported by the respective outlets and investigators; no court has yet established the full facts of the case.
Sources:
The Hindu BusinessLine: Flydubai's Omani co-pilot visited Ben Gurion Airport multiple times, planned crash
Hindustan Times: Flydubai co-pilot's chilling 'not afraid of death' confession
Times Now: Flydubai Attack Probe: Co-Pilot 'Wanted To Crash Jet', Said He Was 'Not Afraid Of Death'
