Co-Pilot Accused of Trying to Take Control of Flight to Israel
A co-pilot accused of attacking the captain of a passenger plane and trying to take control of the aircraft had earlier been flagged as a security risk, officials said. The Omani man, identified as 29-year-old Hamam Al Hammami, had been suspended from flying at a previous airline after extremist materials were found in his possession.
At that airline, Al Hammami had been training as a co-pilot. After the materials were found, he was allowed to keep working in an office role, officials said. Investigators are now looking into how he later became a first officer at another airline and was assigned to a flight headed for Israel.
Authorities Describe an Attack in the Cockpit
The United Arab Emirates’ attorney general said the co-pilot tried to carry out a terrorist act during the flight. He said the man attacked the captain in the cockpit with a crash axe and tried to take control of the plane.
This was the first time officials in the United Arab Emirates confirmed that the captain had been attacked and identified the weapon. Earlier public statements had described the event as a security incident. Officials had said they were still investigating whether it involved terrorism or advance planning.
The attorney general said the investigation is continuing. Investigators are working to understand what happened, what may have motivated the suspected attacker, and whether he had any connections to other people or groups. They are also examining physical and digital evidence. Officials said they would share their final findings after the required steps are complete.
Passengers Helped Prevent a Crash
The plane went into a steep dive during the struggle. The captain fought back, while several passengers rushed to help restrain the co-pilot. One passenger, an Israeli plumber named Yaniv Hayoun, said he pulled back on the controls to help steady the plane.
A third pilot who was traveling as a passenger then took control. The aircraft landed safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
Dr. Shota Musaev, another passenger who went toward the front of the plane, said the suspected attacker was bleeding and restrained on the floor outside the cockpit. Musaev said the man told him he was from Oman. He also said the man asked to be killed.
Al Hammami was moved from Saudi Arabia to the United Arab Emirates and is cooperating with investigators, people briefed on the case said. They said he indicated that he meant to crash the aircraft in Israel.
Flight to Tel Aviv Paused
The airline operating the flight said it was supporting the investigation and working with government authorities and regulators. It said it could not comment further while investigators examined the circumstances.
The airline also temporarily stopped flights to Tel Aviv at the request of authorities. It said a full official investigation was underway and that it was cooperating with the work.
Israeli officials are expected to take part in questioning Al Hammami. Israel’s prime minister said the suspected attacker had undergone Islamist radicalization and intended to crash the plane with everyone aboard. He said investigators were examining whether someone had sent the man, and warned that anyone responsible would face serious consequences.
The prime minister also praised Hayoun and the other passengers who helped stop the plane from crashing. He said their actions prevented a disaster on the scale of the September 11 attacks.
Past Training and Online Activity
A short online biography believed to belong to Al Hammami said he studied aviation management at a university in Britain and engineering at a university in Australia. A representative of the British school confirmed that he completed a three-year distance-learning course and earned an aviation management degree. The school said he did not receive pilot training there.
An archived account on a social media platform, believed to have belonged to Al Hammami, contained thousands of posts from two years. The posts showed strong religious conservatism and hostility toward women, including approval of violence against women. The archived material was only a partial record and did not include clear calls for violence against Israel or Western countries.
The account’s writer said he had spent a total of five years studying in Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. Details in the posts, including the writer’s age, Omani nationality, and work as a pilot, matched information linked to Al Hammami.
An airline based in Morocco confirmed that Al Hammami completed a three-month period of classroom training as part of its hiring process. He was not chosen for a job afterward. The airline did not explain why.
Australian federal police said a joint counterterrorism team was investigating the man’s alleged links to Australia. The team includes federal security officials and Victoria police. Police did not name him or provide further details, saying they would share an update when appropriate.