The UAE-led probe continues into the alleged attempt to seize control of flight FZ1073, while passengers who restrained the injured co-pilot recount a tense confrontation with the cabin crew.
New Delhi, Oct 2026 : Australia has launched an investigation into the alleged cockpit attack aboard flydubai flight FZ1073 after reports emerged that the co-pilot accused of attempting to seize control of the aircraft had spent two years in the country as a student.
The incident involved Indian Captain Smit Machchhar, who was reportedly attacked with a cockpit crash axe by his co-pilot, identified as 29-year-old Hamam al-Hammami of Oman. Despite sustaining serious injuries, Machchhar managed to save the lives of all 170 people aboard the Tel Aviv-bound flight.
According to The Guardian, citing a source familiar with the case, al-Hammami received an Australian student visa in 2014 and arrived in the country the following year to begin a university course. His visa was cancelled in 2019 after he reportedly left Australia in 2017, with authorities confirming that he was no longer enrolled in the course.
Several media reports, citing his now-deleted LinkedIn profile, said al-Hammami had studied engineering at an Australian university. However, the institution he attended has not been identified publicly.
The United Arab Emirates, which is leading the investigation into the incident, has described the in-flight confrontation as a “terrorist attack”.
Meanwhile, reports have emerged of a tense exchange between the flight crew and Israeli passengers who helped overpower and restrain the co-pilot following the alleged attack.
According to the New York Post, two Israeli passengers involved in subduing al-Hammami said cabin crew members repeatedly asked them to release the restrained co-pilot, prompting suspicion among the passengers.
“They were asking us to untie the terrorist — we had no idea why,” banking executive Tzvika Manes, one of the civilians who helped restrain the co-pilot, told the newspaper.
Real estate professional Daniel Schlichter, who was seated in the second row near the cockpit, also recalled the confrontation.
“They were saying to free the terrorist — we got instantly suspicious of them,” Schlichter said.
The disagreement reportedly escalated into an argument, with the passengers refusing to release the co-pilot and insisting that he remain restrained until law enforcement authorities could take custody of him.
A video shared by Israel-based news channel i24NEWS showed al-Hammami kneeling inside the aircraft with his hands tied behind his back. Bloodstains appeared to be visible on his clothing.
In the 45-second clip, passengers can repeatedly be heard saying “just police” and “only police”, indicating their intention to hand the restrained co-pilot over to the authorities.
Investigators are continuing to examine the circumstances surrounding the alleged attack, including the actions of the cockpit crew and the events that unfolded after the co-pilot was restrained.
(Disclaimer :The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)
