New Report Details Co-Pilot's Axe Attack and Mid-Air Struggle on Flydubai Flight

A new investigation by the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera has provided a minute-by-minute account of the dramatic events aboard Flydubai flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv, which experienced an attempted crash four days ago. The report details how the co-pilot, identified as Al-Hamami, attacked the captain with an axe after asking to leave his seat to pray. The captain was injured in the head while attempting to resist. Simultaneously, passengers and two off-duty pilots intervened to regain control of the aircraft as it plunged thousands of feet. A passenger in business class heard unusual noises and alerted a pilot seated among the passengers, who managed to open the cockpit door. Passengers then began to get involved, with one shouting, "He's killing the pilot!" According to the reconstruction, Al-Hamami managed to reach the controls and, realizing his original plan was failing, disengaged the autopilot at 9:21 AM and pushed the control column forward, causing the plane to rapidly lose altitude, dropping 16,000 feet in just over 30 seconds. Passenger Yaniv Hayoun attempted to pull the control column back, while the two off-duty pilots helped stabilize the aircraft. Passengers eventually subdued the co-pilot. The flight issued emergency code "7700" at 9:31 AM, later changing to "7500," indicating unauthorized access to the cockpit. The investigation also suggests the co-pilot may have attempted to cut fuel to the engines, evidenced by emergency lights in the cabin illuminating, indicating a switch to backup power, possibly due to engine failure. Israeli initial investigations suggest the co-pilot acted alone. The injured captain, assisted by the two off-duty pilots, flew the plane over the Arabian Peninsula. Saudi air traffic controllers diverted the flight to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, where it landed safely at 10:57 AM. The captain was hospitalized, the co-pilot was taken into custody, and the 174 passengers were evacuated after the harrowing ordeal.