The flydubai co-pilot accused of attacking Indian pilot Smit Machchhar in the cockpit told investigators that he wanted to crash the aircraft and was “not afraid of death”, according to The Wall Street Journal (WSJ).
The aircraft was carrying more than 170 people on its journey from Dubai to Tel Aviv when the incident took place on September 30. The plane later made an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, after passengers and crew overpowered the accused pilot.
The accused has been identified as 29-year-old Omani national Hamam al-Hammami. UAE authorities have described the incident as an attempted terrorist attack. Investigators are examining his motive, background and possible connections to other individuals or groups.
The accused co-pilot had earlier described his love for flying on X. In June 2022, he wrote on his now-deleted account that aviation and flight training were “anything but routine”.
“What makes aviation and flight training so beautiful is that it’s anything but routine. There are moments you never forget – like your very first solo flight or your first time landing an aircraft with passengers on board,” he posted in Arabic.
From Oman Air to flydubai
Al-Hammami had worked for the Oman Air for several years before his aviation career took a different course. According the WSJ, he was grounded after authorities discovered visits to extremist websites.
Citing multiple sources, CNN too said he was removed from flight training at the Oman Air in 2025 over “extremist views”.
The broadcaster also claimed to have found social-media material associated with him that contained extremist and misogynistic views. One post from January 2022 criticised mixed-gender workplaces and claimed that women could be influenced or “ruined” in such environments.
Another post from February that year described his mother’s efforts to find him a bride. It referred to conditions involving a niqab (veil) and the woman not working after marriage.
“They all refused. Then my mother told them, ‘My son is a pilot,’ and they all suddenly agreed,” he reportedly wrote.
CNN also found a video posted after the flydubai incident that showed aircraft at Dubai airport and ended with an image of former al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri. The timing of the post is being examined, as it appeared online hours after the alleged attack.
The news channel said that it was unclear whether the material had been posted automatically or by someone else.
Syria background under examination
Al-Hammami was born in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to an Omani father and a Syrian mother. He has also lived in Dubai. Investigators are also examining al-Hammami’s time in Syria. They are trying to determine whether his experiences there played any role in his later extremist views.
The WSJ said that he spent part of his youth in war-torn Syria. He later studied aviation in the UAE and the United Kingdom. A spokesperson for Buckinghamshire New University has also confirmed that he completed a distance-learning course in aviation management, although he did not receive pilot training there.
His aviation career also included a stint with Morocco’s national carrier before he joined flydubai in February 2026, according to CNN and the WSJ. CNN added that his employment with the Moroccan airline ended earlier this year.
What happened aboard the flight
The alleged attack took place in the cockpit of flydubai flight FZ1073. UAE authorities said al-Hammami attacked Machchhar with a crash axe and tried to take control of the aircraft. The captain managed to open the cockpit door after the assault, allowing passengers and other crew members to intervene.
The aircraft then plunged about 16,000 feet in roughly 30 seconds before control was restored. Passengers helped restrain him, while backup pilots assisted with flying the aircraft. The Boeing 737 MAX 8 eventually landed safely in Tabuk.
Al-Hammami was detained in Saudi Arabia before being transferred to the UAE. The Emirates is leading the investigation. Investigators are examining physical and digital evidence. They are also trying to establish his motive and any possible connections.
Flydubai has said it cannot comment in detail because the investigation is under way.
The probe now spans the cockpit attack, al-Hammami’s previous aviation jobs, his online activity and his contacts and movements. His purported statement that he wanted to crash the aircraft is also part of the evidence being probed by authorities.
