UAE: Flydubai co-pilot plotted to crash plane into Israel

Authorities in the United Arab Emirates say the co-pilot who tried to seize control of a Flydubai flight on September 30 carried out a "suicide mission" aimed at crashing the plane into Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, according to the state news agency WAM.

UAE prosecutors believe the plan was "inspired by the September 11 attacks," Attorney General Hamad Saif al-Shamsi said in a statement published by WAM on Friday, referring to the September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States.

WAM reported al-Shamsi's remarks along with updates on the findings of the UAE investigation, opened on October 1.

According to WAM, investigators found that the 29-year-old suspect had used two earlier flights to Tel Aviv to "familiarize himself with the route and the airport."

The attorney general said the suspect had worked for airlines in several countries, including Oman Air and Royal Air Maroc, before joining Flydubai in January.

Investigators reviewed Flydubai's recruitment procedures and found the suspect met all professional and security requirements, including a pilot's license and a good-conduct certificate. "However, no procedure detected any sign of extremist views or an intent to carry out a terrorist plot by the individual," the statement said.

Al-Shamsi's statement did not appear to accuse Flydubai of wrongdoing, and it is the most detailed account to date from prosecutors of what they believe happened.

UAE officials have not released the suspect's identity, the man accused of attacking the co-pilot and captain of the Dubai–Tel Aviv flight carrying 174 people. But sources with direct knowledge of the incident said the suspect is Hamam al-Hammami, an Omani national, according to Reuters and AP.

According to al-Shamsi, the suspect told investigators he had prepared psychologically and physically for the attack by viewing material that advocated "terrorism" and studying kung fu. The findings showed "signs of the individual's gradual drift toward extremism and terrorism first appeared in 2017, while he was studying abroad in Australia," the statement said.

The statement added that the suspect "admitted he acted alone, with no involvement by others," and "gave a detailed account of his motives and the stages of planning and execution" in the presence of his lawyer.

What happened on the Flydubai flight

According to Flightradar24, at 7:05 a.m. local time on September 30, flight FZ1073 left Dubai for Tel Aviv and climbed to an altitude of 34,000 feet (more than 10,300 meters). More than two hours later, the aircraft suddenly began a steep descent.

Tracking data showed the plane plunged more than 17,000 feet in about two minutes before climbing and descending again. A struggle broke out in the cockpit between the two pilots after the co-pilot struck the Indian captain, Smit Machchhar.

Machchhar later recounted that he was seriously injured and lying on the cockpit floor as the plane descended. Passengers and crew members were said to have rushed into the cockpit and subdued the co-pilot. The aircraft eventually stabilized at an altitude of about 15,000 feet, then switched its transponder to code 7500 — signaling unlawful interference.

Two relief pilots on board took control and landed the plane in Tabuk, northwestern Saudi Arabia. It touched down safely at 9:45 a.m. local time (06:45 GMT). Saudi authorities said both pilots were taken to a hospital and later transferred to Abu Dhabi after being declared medically fit.