New Details Emerge on Dramatic Flydubai Terror Flight Hijacking Attempt

A detailed reconstruction of the dramatic hijacking attempt on Flydubai flight FZ1073 to Tel Aviv has revealed new information, according to the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera. The report, based on testimonies, surveillance data, insider information, and in-cabin video, suggests the co-pilot may have intentionally shut down the aircraft's engines during the incident. Two Boeing 737 captains analyzing video footage identified suspicious emergency lights that were illuminated while the plane was airborne, a detail that could indicate the engines were turned off. The incident began around 5:00 AM on Tuesday at Dubai Airport's Terminal 3, with 174 passengers boarding the full flight. After takeoff at 7:05 AM, the plane reached a cruising altitude of 34,000 feet with autopilot engaged. Around 9:15 AM, the first officer, Hammam Al-Hamami, requested to leave his seat to pray. Minutes later, he attacked Captain Smith Macher from behind with the aircraft's emergency axe. Al-Hamami then attempted to enter the cockpit, but the reinforced door blocked him. The situation was defused when a 5-year-old girl, Nina Mans, asked to use the restroom, alerting her mother to the commotion. The mother alerted one of the two off-duty pilots on board, who were present as a reinforcement crew. Around 9:21 AM, Al-Hamami disengaged the autopilot and aggressively pushed the controls forward, causing the plane to dive over 16,000 feet in about 30 seconds at a speed exceeding 970 km/h. Passenger Yaniv Hayoun intervened, grabbing the controls to stop the dive. Simultaneously, the two off-duty pilots managed to enter the cockpit, regain control, stabilize the aircraft, and restart the engines. Following emergency code inputs and a request to enter Saudi airspace, the plane landed safely in Tabuk. The captain was hospitalized, and Al-Hamami was arrested. Israeli intelligence officials believe Al-Hamami planned to murder the captain and crash the plane in Israel. He had reportedly worked for Flydubai for only eight months, having left a previous company due to suspicions of extremist views. The investigation is ongoing, examining Al-Hamami's background checks, the emergency axe, and whether the engines were indeed shut down during the dive.