Omani co-pilot planned to crash flydubai jet into Tel Aviv skyscraper, tried to shut off both engines: Report
The pilot had planned to first kill the captain and then take control of the flight, steering it to Tel Aviv where he would crash it.
An Omani co-pilot on a flydubai flight bound for Tel Aviv allegedly plotted to crash the Boeing 737 into a skyscraper in the Israeli city, according to an Italian newspaper report. The unnamed co-pilot, identified as 29-year-old Hammam al-Hammami, attempted to shut off both engines of the aircraft after being thwarted in his plan to kill the Indian pilot, Smit Machchhar, with an axe.
The newspaper cited Israeli intelligence, claiming Hammami would have done so quickly, allowing no time for fighter jets to scramble or authorities to negotiate. Al-Hammami had also planned to take control of the plane, steering it towards Tel Aviv's skyscrapers. The pilot managed to regain control of the aircraft, and the co-pilot was subdued by crew and passengers, allowing the plane to make an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia. Al-Hammami was subsequently taken into custody by Saudi authorities and is now held in the UAE.
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