FlyDubai captain stabbed mid-flight as co-pilot tries to seize control
Co-pilot Hamam al-Hammam attacked the captain with an axe; the plane descended more than 4000 metres in less than 30 seconds.
A FlyDubai co-pilot attacked the captain with an axe mid-flight on flight FZ1073, trying to take control. The Boeing 737 Max 8 dropped more than 4000 metres in less than 30 seconds.
About 182 people were on board, including Australian passengers. Hamam al-Hammam, an Omani citizen, was the suspected attacker.
The plane landed safely in Saudi Arabia. The UAE's chief law officer called it an attempted terror attack.
Al-Hammam was removed from his job at Oman Air in 2025 over concerns about his extreme beliefs. He studied aviation in Victoria and the Australian Federal Police is investigating any links to Australia.
Why it mattersA pilot attacking a captain mid-flight represents a security failure and raises questions about aviation background checks and crew vetting globally.
AustraliaAustralian Federal Police are now investigating al-Hammam's links to Australia; he studied at a Victorian university, raising questions about background screening in aviation hiring.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 56 min ago
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