'Wanted to crash plane': Omani co-pilot's chilling admission after attempt to crash flydubai plane
PTC News Desk: The flydubai co-pilot accused of attacking Captain Smit Machchhar reportedly told Saudi investigators that he wanted to crash the plane and was not afraid of dying, according to a Saudi official cited by The Wall Street Journal.
The co-pilot, identified as 29-year-old Omani national Hamam al-Hammami, is now being questioned in the UAE after being handed over by Saudi authorities. The aircraft had made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia after the cockpit attack. UAE authorities have described the incident as an attempted terrorist attack.
Hammami allegedly attacked Machchhar several times with a crash axe before trying to take control of the aircraft. Despite being seriously injured, Machchhar managed to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers and crew to enter and overpower the attacker.
Investigators examining possible radicalisation
Investigators are now looking into Hammami's background, including whether he became radicalised during his time in Syria. He was born to an Omani father and Syrian mother and had lived in Dubai for several years.
Reports say Hammami had previously worked for Oman Air, where he was reportedly removed from flying duties after authorities found that he had been visiting extremist websites. He was allegedly placed in a desk job and underwent a deradicalisation programme.
He later tried to continue his aviation career and reportedly worked with Royal Air Maroc before joining flydubai in February 2026.
Questions over how he returned to flying
The case has raised questions about how Hammami was able to return to the cockpit after being removed from flying duties by Oman Air.
The UAE reportedly carries out security checks on pilots, but it remains unclear what information flydubai received about Hammami's previous record. People familiar with the matter told the WSJ that Oman would have shared its information if another country had requested it for employment screening. However, Oman reportedly received no such request.
Authorities in Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Israel are continuing to investigate the incident, including whether Hammami had any links to outside organisations.
A social media post believed to have been written by Hammami in 2022, which has since been deleted, reportedly discussed his interest in aviation and the experience of flying an aircraft carrying passengers.
- PTC NEWS
