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Flydubai co-pilot attacked captain with axe, UAE official says

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Cite

Kipling, E. (2026, October 3). Flydubai co-pilot attacked captain with axe, UAE official says. BBC News. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c61wv7lgex13o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss

Dated when The Aporia collected the article, usually within hours of publication. Check the original for its exact date and byline.

BBC News · collected 2026-10-03 · by Ella Kipling
Content note This article describes suicide or self-harm.

Quick Summary

A Flydubai co-pilot attacked the captain with a crash axe during a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv, causing the plane to descend sharply. More than 170 passengers were on board; they subdued the attacker after he injured the pilot, allowing other crew members to land the aircraft safely. The UAE is investigating whether the incident had terrorist motives, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu suggested the co-pilot was suicidal and possibly influenced by Islamist radicalism.
Written by AI on 2026-10-04, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

AI analysis

Story summary

On September 30, 2026, a Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv signaled an emergency and was diverted to land at Tabuk airport in Saudi Arabia. The incident initially raised concerns about a possible hijacking, prompting Israel to scramble warplanes. However, Israeli officials later reported that the emergency signals were due to a physical altercation between the plane's two pilots rather than a hijacking attempt.

The flight, identified as Flydubai Flight FZ1073, transmitted multiple emergency alerts after takeoff and over Jordanian airspace before landing safely in Saudi Arabia. Passengers on board managed to overpower the attacker, who was later identified by UAE officials as Omani co-pilot Hamam al-Hammami. Al-Hammami allegedly attempted to crash the plane into Tel Aviv's airport but was stopped by passengers.

UAE Attorney-General Hamad Saif al-Shamsi stated that signs of al-Hammami’s radicalization first emerged in 2017 while he was studying engineering at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia. He reportedly became influenced by extremist literature and online content glorifying terrorist organizations during this period.

Written for “Flydubai Hijacker's Radicalization Path” on 2026-10-31, grounded in this article and the 345 other(s) covering the same event.

Story

📰 Flydubai Hijacker's Radicalization Path
Crime & Law · 346 article(s) covering the same event. See how they differ ↓

Compared with similar articles

This article reads unscored and hedges 13% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.
Flydubai co-pilot used crash axe to attack captain, says UAE Same event
The Guardian
Hedges 2 of 25 claims Outlet record 66/100
Flydubai co-pilot attacked pilot with axe, attempted ‘terrorist’ attack, says UAE Same event
The Hindu
Hedges 2 of 13 claims Outlet record 60/100
Flydubai co-pilot used crash ax to hack at pilot in attempted ‘terrorist attack’: UAE official Same event
New York Post
Hedges 2 of 6 claims Outlet record 66/100
Flydubai co-pilot attacked pilot with axe, attempted ‘terrorist’ attack, UAE says Same event
The Straits Times
Hedges 2 of 13 claims Outlet record 66/100
Flydubai co-pilot stabbed captain with crash axe in ‘terrorist’ attack: UAE Same event
Al Jazeera
Hedges 0 of 5 claims Outlet record 60/100
UAE says FlyDubai co-pilot attacked captain with axe in “terrorist” act Same event
Euronews
Hedges 4 of 29 claims Outlet record 60/100
A pilot brawl, then a rapid descent: passengers recount chaos on flydubai flight Same event
The Straits Times
Hedges 1 of 23 claims Outlet record 66/100
Flydubai incident | Complete coverage Same event
The Hindu
Hedges 4 of 7 claims Outlet record 60/100
FlyDubai co-pilot accused of stabbing captain identified as 29-year-old Omani national Same event
Fox News
Hedges 3 of 11 claims Outlet record 69/100
'It was like a horror film': How Flydubai pilot was restrained with headphones Same event
Times of India
Hedges 2 of 24 claims Outlet record 59/100
How this article was measured signals, leaning charts, publisher record, byline, topics and claims

Signals How these are calculated →

Claims extracted
15
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
13%
2 of 15 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
not political
takes no side on a contested political question
Publisher signals
68/100
BBC News's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.
Outlets on this story
346
Crime & Law
Same framing elsewhere
1
articles that frame the event the way this one does
Analyzed 2026-10-04 · how these are computed

How this is being covered How these are calculated →

Article leaning vs. publisher reliability
Source leaning vs. consistency

Publisher

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Running correction rate · 6 correction(s)
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Who wrote this

Ella Kipling
15 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction
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2026-10-25 · assertive framing · Man killed by falling tree as Storm Boelo leaves 160,000 properties without power
🔮 - Published More than £1bn for social and affordable housing in England will be provided in the Wednesday's Budget, taking funding for the government's 10-year homes programme past £40bn.
2026-10-25 · assertive framing · Budget to include £1bn for social and affordable housing
🔮 He said he had spoken with Burnham, telling reporters on Friday that the decision would "make the UK a very rich country".
2026-10-23 · assertive framing · Trump says Burnham is 'getting it done' after Jackdaw decision
🔮 She added: "I would implore you to have conversations, to be inquisitive about what your children are doing online."
2026-10-21 · assertive framing · Teenager arrested aged 16 jailed after terror conviction
🔮 - Published When Antonia Okonma Shittu was told she had multiple sclerosis (MS) and would be using a wheelchair within the year, she was in denial.
2026-10-13 · assertive framing · I lost my hair to MS treatment - now my wigs are worn by Naomi Campbell and Serena Williams
🔮 Despite Trump stating on Sunday the truce would be "effective immediately", the Ukrainian president said Russia had hit "our gas stations, energy infrastructure, and other facilities".
2026-10-12 · assertive framing · Six Ukrainian energy sites hit by Russia since Trump announced ceasefire, Zelensky says
🔮 - Published A man accused of stabbing a British toddler at a playground in the French Alps will go on trial charged with attempted murder, prosecutors have said.
2026-10-07 · assertive framing · Man to face trial for attempted murder of British child in Alps park attack
🔮 - Published A major bridge in Kyiv has been targeted by Russian strikes for the second day in a row, coinciding with a surprise visit from German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's to the city. The Pivnichnyi (Northern) Bridge was hit on Sunday morning, a day after it was first struck by drones in an attack that damaged the road surface and led to traffic disruption. Kyiv Major Vitali Klitschko said Sunday's strike had also damaged a heating main, adding that there would be a temporary lack of hot water in the north-eastern Desnyanskyi district as a result. Major bridges have been targeted in Kyiv over the past four days as Moscow ramps up attacks on critical infrastructure in the capital.
2026-10-04 · assertive framing · Kyiv bridge hit in further drone attack as German chancellor makes surprise visit
🔮 About 50 planned marches were expected to take place in cities such as Madrid, Valencia and Barcelona on Saturday - with some already under way.
2026-10-03 · assertive framing · Protesters across Spain demand action over housing crisis
🔮 The pilot said: "I am confident that the recovery will be there and I will become fit and healthy again."
2026-10-03 · assertive framing · Flydubai co-pilot attacked captain with axe, UAE official says
Also by Ella Kipling
Man killed by falling tree as Storm Boelo leaves 160,000 properties without power
2026-10-25 · BBC News
Budget to include £1bn for social and affordable housing
2026-10-25 · BBC News
Trump says Burnham is 'getting it done' after Jackdaw decision
2026-10-23 · BBC News
Teenager arrested aged 16 jailed after terror conviction
2026-10-21 · BBC News
Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.
All 15 articles by Ella Kipling →

Topics

Dubai Flydubai Israel UAE United Arab Emirates

Subjects

UAE GPE · 3× Benjamin Netanyahu PERSON · 1× Dubai GPE · 1× Flydubai ORG · 1× Israel GPE · 1× Israeli NORP · 1× Omani NORP · 1× Smit Machchhar PERSON · 1× Tel Aviv GPE · 1× United Arab Emirates GPE · 1×

Narrative

Capt Smit Machchhar said he was lying on the cockpit floor injured when he realised the plane was sinking and he had to act, explaining: "I told myself to go for one last push to open the door from inside."
framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-10-04
🔮 The pilot said: "I am confident that the recovery will be there and I will become fit and healthy again."
2026-10-04 · BBC News
Flydubai co-pilot attacked captain with axe, UAE official says · assertive framing

Claims (15 extracted, 2 hedged)

- Published The co-pilot of the Flydubai plane travelling to Israel attacked the pilot with a crash axe in an attempt to take control of the aircraft, the United Arab Emirates prosecutor general has said. asserted
general → publish → aircraft
The flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv carrying more than 170 people plunged more than 17,000ft (5,200m) two and a half hours into its journey. asserted
flight → carry → journey
Capt Smit Machchhar said he was lying on the cockpit floor injured when he realised the plane was sinking and he had to act, explaining: "I told myself to go for one last push to open the door from inside." asserted
I → say → door
Passengers aboard the aircraft were then able to enter the cockpit and overpower the attacker, while on-duty crew travelling on the flight entered the cockpit and landed the plan safely. asserted
crew → enter → plan
A crash axe is usually kept in the cockpit to be used during emergencies such as crashes. asserted
axe → keep → crashes
The UAE attorney general told state media that investigations were ongoing to determine the full circumstances and motives of the incident. asserted
investigations → tell → incident
The co-pilot who launched the attack was an Omani national, according to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. uncertain
who → launch → Netanyahu
Netanyahu told Fox News on Thursday that, after being subdued, the attacker called out to the crew, "Kill me, kill me!" asserted
attacker → tell → me
He added: "So, it's clear that he was suicidal… asserted
he → add → ?
It looks very likely that he was going to down the plane." asserted
he → look → plane
He also said the attacker "underwent Islamist radical indoctrination". asserted
attacker → say → indoctrination
The UAE has begun investigating whether the "incident was linked to any terrorist activity or purpose", according to the country's state news agency. uncertain
incident → begin → agency
Machchhar, who was stabbed in the attack, was taken to a nearby hospital before being airlifted to Abu Dhabi, where he is reported to be in a stable condition. asserted
he → stab → condition
He was in "good health and recovering well", the Indian embassy in the UAE said on Thursday. asserted
embassy → recover → Thursday
The pilot said: "I am confident that the recovery will be there and I will become fit and healthy again." asserted
I → say → ?
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