UAE says Flydubai co-pilot attacked captain with crash axe in attempted 'terrorist act'

A co-pilot aboard Flydubai flight 1073 attacked the captain with the cockpit's emergency crash axe and attempted to take control of the aircraft in what a United Arab Emirates official described as an attempted 'terrorist act,' according to multiple outlets including NBC News, the Los Angeles Times, CNBC and the Washington Examiner. The flight was headed to Israel, and the attack occurred during the journey, prompting a diversion.

The Washington Examiner, citing the UAE Attorney General Hamad Saif Al-[name cut off in source], identified the co-pilot as a 29-year-old Omani national. The New York Post reported the co-pilot's name as Hamam al-Hammami, citing a UAE prosecutor official, and described the incident as an attempted hijack of an Israel-bound flight. Fortune and other outlets reported that the aircraft was barred from landing by Oman.

France 24 reported that the captain, identified as Smit Machchhar, was stabbed repeatedly but managed to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers to overwhelm the co-pilot and regain control of the aircraft after it underwent a rapid descent of more than 14,000 feet in 30 seconds. CNN reported that the captain later described new details of the cockpit attack to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who according to France 24 said the crew and passengers prevented a '9/11-style catastrophe.'

The Times of India reported that the co-pilot had shouted 'Kill me!' during the attack and had a 'full plan' to hijack the plane, though this detail was not corroborated by other outlets in the supplied material. Fox News published an opinion piece by Jack Carr arguing the incident exposes gaps in pilot screening and cockpit security, calling for reforms, though this reflects commentary rather than reporting of new facts.

How the coverage differed

Center and left-leaning outlets, including the BBC, CNBC, Euronews, Deutsche Welle, the Financial Times and the Irish Times, largely converged on the core facts: a crash axe was used, the UAE called it a terrorist act, and the co-pilot tried to seize control. Left-leaning outlets such as CNN and the New York Times emphasized the response of passengers and crew, with the New York Times focusing on how they 'averted disaster.' France 24, a center-leaning outlet, provided the most detailed narrative of the cockpit struggle, including the captain's name, the stabbing, and the plane's descent, as well as Netanyahu's '9/11-style catastrophe' comparison.

Right-leaning outlets, including the Washington Examiner and New York Post, were more likely to name the co-pilot and give his age and nationality, details not widely reported by left-leaning outlets in this set. Fox News stood out by running an opinion column drawing broader lessons about cockpit security rather than straight news reporting. The Times of India, a center-leaning outlet, included the unverified detail about the co-pilot shouting 'Kill me!' and having a 'full plan,' a claim not echoed elsewhere in the supplied material.

Overall, center outlets provided the largest volume of coverage and the most narrative detail, while right-leaning coverage leaned toward identifying details about the suspect and commentary on security implications. Left-leaning outlets emphasized the heroism of the crew and passengers and included Netanyahu's remarks to the captain.

What is still unclear

The co-pilot's name is reported differently or not at all across outlets — the New York Post names him as Hamam al-Hammami while the Washington Examiner cites an age and nationality without a full name — leaving his identity not fully confirmed across sources. It also remains unclear whether the claim that the co-pilot shouted 'Kill me!' and had a 'full plan' to hijack the plane, reported only by the Times of India, is corroborated by other investigators or outlets.