Stories
Co-pilot faces death penalty in UAE for plotting to crash Israel-bound flight
- •A flydubai co-pilot named Hammam Al-Hammami plotted to crash a passenger flight bound for Israel's Ben-Gurion airport.
- •During the flight carrying 174 passengers, the Omani co-pilot suddenly attacked Indian pilot Smith Machar mid-air.
- •Captain Smith Machar bravely fought off the attacker and safely landed the aircraft in Saudi Arabia, saving all passengers.
- •Al-Hammami told investigators that crashing a plane into an Israeli airport was his dream and he planned the operation beforehand.
- •A senior UAE source indicated that prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for the co-pilot following the heinous attack.
Key Questions Answered
The 29-year-old Omani co-pilot, Hammam Al-Hammami, is expected to face the death penalty in the United Arab Emirates. Prosecutors are seeking the harshest possible punishment after he allegedly attacked the flight captain with a crash axe during a flight bound for Israel.
The Indian pilot who was attacked and incapacitated mid-flight by the co-pilot was Smith Machar. Despite the attack, he bravely fought off Al-Hammami and safely landed the aircraft in Saudi Arabia, saving the lives of 174 passengers.
Hammam Al-Hammami told investigators that crashing a plane into Tel Aviv's Ben-Gurion airport was a "dream" of his. He planned the operation prior to getting the job at flydubai and intended for the attack to happen so quickly that Israeli fighter jets could not be scrambled.
