The Omani co-pilot who allegedly attempted to take control of a Flydubai flight after attacking his Indian colleague had initially planned to crash the aircraft into a building in Tel Aviv, according to a media report citing intelligence sources.
The co-pilot, identified as Hamam Alhamami, may have attempted to shut down the aircraft’s engines after his alleged plan was thwarted, Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera reported on Sunday.
According to the report, which cited Israeli intelligence sources, Alhamami allegedly planned to kill Captain Smit Machchhar with a crash axe, seize control of the aircraft and crash it into a skyscraper in Tel Aviv.
He allegedly pretended to pray before taking the axe and attacking the captain from behind. The assault reportedly caused the aircraft to descend about 16,000 feet within two minutes.
The report said Alhamami intended to act quickly, leaving fighter jets little time to scramble and intercept the aircraft. He also wanted to give little time to authorities to negotiate with him.
However, his alleged plan was foiled when Machchhar, despite suffering severe injuries, managed to open the cockpit door, allowing other crew members to enter and intervene.
Alhamami may then have attempted to cut off the aircraft’s engine fuel supply, the report claimed. It pointed to footage recorded during the struggle as a possible indication that the aircraft had lost its main electrical power source.
“In one of the videos, filmed between the seats and during the attempts to stop the first officer, the cabin emergency lights are visible,” the report said. It noted that the lights normally activate during an emergency evacuation or when the aircraft loses its main power supply and switches to battery power.
According to the report, this could occur if the generators were switched off or if both engines were shut down.
Other crew members eventually overpowered Alhamami, regained control of the aircraft and landed it safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
Captain Machchhar, an Indian national, is recovering in a hospital in Abu Dhabi and has been widely praised for his actions during the incident.
