flydubai Omani co-pilot planned to crash plane into Israel skyscraper in 9/11 repeat
PTC News Desk: flydubai co-pilot Hammam al-Hammani allegedly planned to kill Captain Smit Machchhar, take control of the aircraft and crash it into a building in Tel Aviv in a 9/11-style attack. Israeli investigators reportedly found that the 29-year-old Omani national acted alone.
Reports said al-Hammani had planned to carry out the attack on September 30. He allegedly intended to kill the captain, take control of the plane, and eventually crash it into a building or another aircraft near Ben Gurion Airport.
Investigators said he planned to wait until the aircraft was over Jordan before taking control, apparently to avoid raising suspicion and give himself enough time to carry out the plan. He had reportedly considered carrying out the attack in July but dropped the plan at the last moment because he was friendly with a member of the crew.
On September 30, al-Hammani attacked Indian pilot Smit Machchhar with a crash axe inside the cockpit and tried to take control of the Boeing 737 MAX 8. During the struggle, the aircraft plunged from about 36,000 feet to nearly 17,000 feet in around two minutes, putting the aircraft under severe stress. The flight was carrying 174 people.
A major disaster was prevented when the injured Captain Machchhar managed to open the cockpit door. Passengers and crew then entered the cockpit and overpowered the co-pilot. Two off-duty pilots travelling as passengers later took control of the aircraft and helped land it safely at Tabuk airport in Saudi Arabia. The passengers were later flown to Ben Gurion Airport.
Israeli media also reported that al-Hammani had visited Ben Gurion Airport several times while working for flydubai. During a visit in June, he allegedly gathered information that could have been useful for planning the attack.
Al-Hammani is currently under arrest and being questioned in the UAE. He could face a very serious punishment, potentially including the death penalty, if convicted. However, no formal sentence has been announced and the investigation is still ongoing.
Co-pilot's past under investigation
The co-pilot was identified as Hamam al-Hammami, an Omani national. His identity was also confirmed to the Associated Press by people familiar with the investigation. According to AP, Oman had previously stopped al-Hammami from flying because of concerns about alleged extremist views. He was later hired by flydubai.
It is still unclear how much flydubai knew about his previous removal from flying duties and what checks were carried out before he was hired.
- PTC NEWS
