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Flydubai Co-Pilot Attack Sparks Aviation Security Probe

By Drooid · Oct 8, 2026, 6:24 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Al-Hammami Axe Attack

Flydubai co-pilot Hamam al-Hammami attacked captain Smit Machchhar with a crash axe, dropping the Boeing 737-MAX over 16,000 feet.
Reserve pilots diverted the aircraft to Tabuk in Saudi Arabia achieving a safe landing.
Interrogators said al-Hammami planned the attack before joining flydubai and intended to hit Ben Gurion Airport.
Saudi Arabia opened a safety probe and the UAE launched a criminal investigation labeling the act a terrorist attack.

Summary

Bachrach Calls Cockpit Cameras

Retired Brigadier General Menachem “Mena” Bachrach warns security systems ignored a pilot’s known extremist flag.
He recommends installing live cockpit cameras so air traffic control can monitor pilots in flight.
He urges remote cockpit-door opening systems to override locked doors during emergencies.
He argues pilot vetting must continue after licensing, with human analysis to track radicalization.

History

Historical Context

Airline safety concerns echo long-standing efforts to promote secure skies, such as the international Girls in Aviation Day that highlights industry standards. Parallel public-health campaigns like National Suicide Prevention Week address mental-health risks that can underlie insider threats. The recent flydubai incident has revived calls for stronger cockpit safeguards, a topic that resurfaces each September 21 in public discourse.

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Al-Hammami Axe Attack

Flydubai co-pilot Hamam al-Hammami attacked captain Smit Machchhar with a crash axe, dropping the Boeing 737-MAX over 16,000 feet.
Reserve pilots diverted the aircraft to Tabuk in Saudi Arabia achieving a safe landing.
Interrogators said al-Hammami planned the attack before joining flydubai and intended to hit Ben Gurion Airport.
Saudi Arabia opened a safety probe and the UAE launched a criminal investigation labeling the act a terrorist attack.

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