Flydubai captain describes blocking axe blows during co-pilot attack

Captain Smit Machchhar has described blocking axe blows to his head while being attacked by his co-pilot during a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv, the Guardian reported. Machchhar said he screamed for help as he reached to open the cockpit door on flydubai flight FZ1073. He was hailed as a hero for his role in averting a disaster. [1]

The United Arab Emirates attorney general said the attack was an attempted suicide act by the co-pilot, who intended to crash the airplane into Ben Gurion Airport, according to the Guardian. Passengers intervened after the co-pilot attempted to crash the aircraft. [1]

As FTMQ News reported earlier, the aircraft plunged 17,000 feet before passengers overpowered the attacker. The suspect was identified as Hamam al-Hammami, who had previously been barred from flying in Oman due to security concerns and extremist views. [3][4]