Omani Pilot Confesses to Planning Ben Gurion Airport Crash
Translated & summarized from TheMarker by baba
An Omani pilot confessed to attempting to hijack a Flydubai flight to Tel Aviv and planning to crash it at Ben Gurion Airport. The co-pilot, Humam Al-Humami, attacked the captain before being subdued by the crew. The flight, with about 180 passengers, was diverted to Saudi Arabia and later returned to Israel. Investigators are determining if the co-pilot acted alone, with his radicalization reportedly starting in 2017.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- An Omani pilot confessed to planning to crash a Flydubai flight at Ben Gurion Airport.
- The co-pilot, Humam Al-Humami, attacked Captain Smith Macher on the flight from Dubai.
- The flight with 180 passengers was diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, and later returned to Israel.
- The co-pilot claimed inspiration from the 9/11 attacks and began radicalization in 2017.
- Investigators are checking if the co-pilot received assistance in his attempted hijacking.
The Public Prosecutor's Office of the United Arab Emirates confirmed on Friday that an Omani pilot confessed during his interrogation to attempting to hijack a Flydubai flight to Tel Aviv last week and planning to crash the plane at Ben Gurion Airport. The prosecutor's office stated that the co-pilot had visited Tel Aviv at least twice prior to the incident to study the flight path and the airport. The co-pilot claimed he acted alone, but investigators are still examining whether he received assistance. According to the statement, the co-pilot said he drew inspiration for his plan from the September 11th attacks. His radicalization process began in 2017 when he became interested in extremist ideologies and terrorist acts. The investigation revealed that the suspect met Flydubai's professional and security requirements, and the company's pre-employment checks did not uncover any extremist views or ties to terrorism. The attempted attack occurred last Wednesday on a flight carrying approximately 180 passengers from Dubai to Tel Aviv. The Omani co-pilot, Humam Al-Humami, attacked the Indian captain, Smith Macher, in the cockpit, stabbing him multiple times. Macher managed to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers and crew members to overpower the attacker. Two additional pilots on board took control of the aircraft and landed it in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. After several hours of waiting in Saudi Arabia, the passengers returned to Ben Gurion Airport.
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