Report says flydubai co-pilot attacked captain and tried to crash jet

Investigators are examining whether a flydubai co-pilot attacked the captain and shut down both engines during a flight carrying 174 passengers, most of them Israeli, according to reports cited by The Indian Express.

Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera reported that the co-pilot, identified by NBC News sources as Omani national Hammam al-Hammami, allegedly intended to kill Captain Smit Machchhar, take control of the Boeing 737 and crash it in Tel Aviv. When the alleged plan failed, he reportedly attacked the captain with a cockpit axe, disengaged the autopilot and forced the aircraft into a steep descent.

The jet lost about 16,000 feet in roughly 30 seconds before passengers overpowered the co-pilot. A passenger pulled back on the controls, and two off-duty pilots aboard the flight then stabilized the aircraft and landed it at Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. Machchhar suffered severe injuries in the attack.

Corriere della Sera said investigators are checking whether the co-pilot moved both engine fuel switches from “Run” to “Cutoff.” The newspaper based its account on crew reports, people familiar with the incident, airport personnel, air traffic controllers and flight-tracking data.

Authorities have not publicly released the suspect’s name or the official investigation’s findings. U.S. officials and a former Israeli security official told NBC News that preliminary indications point to a lone attacker rather than involvement by an organization or government. Separate reports have questioned flydubai’s background checks, while sources cited by The Economic Times called attempts to connect the co-pilot to Oman’s establishment “uncalled for.”