Omani co-pilot attacked captain with crash axe mid-flight
Co-pilot Hammam al-Hammami attacked the pilot with a crash axe during flight FZ1073 to Tel Aviv in a suspected terrorist attack.
An Omani co-pilot attacked the pilot with a crash axe during flight FZ1073 to Tel Aviv. The plane carried more than 170 passengers and crew.
A reserve pilot on board took control. The reserve pilot landed the plane safely at Tabuk airport in Saudi Arabia.
The co-pilot was detained. His name is Hammam al-Hammami.
He had been barred from flying in Oman but was hired by the UAE airline. The plane dropped more than 5,000 metres in just over 30 seconds.
Emirati and Israeli authorities are investigating whether extremism was the motive and whether anyone else was involved.
- FZ1073, from UAE to Tel Aviv
- Flight and route
- More than 170 on board
- Passengers and crew
- Barred in Oman, hired by UAE airline
- Co-pilot status
Why it mattersThis is a rare mid-flight terrorist attack that nearly killed 170 people. It exposes a significant security gap: a pilot barred from flying in one country was hired by another.
AustraliaMost passengers were Israeli nationals, but this incident affects international aviation security globally, including Australian carriers and routes.
✓ Claims checked against the source. checked 2 h ago
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