Omani Co-Pilot Allegedly Planned Plane Crash Into Israel, Sources Claim
Omani co-pilot allegedly plotted to crash plane into Israel, sources say. Aviation security failures under scrutiny after near disaster.
POLICY WIRE — Dubai, United Arab Emirates — An Omani co-pilot on a FlyDubai flight was allegedly planning to crash the aircraft into an Israeli airport long before joining the airline, according to an Israeli official.
The incident occurred on September 30 as the flight approached Israel, when the co-pilot reportedly attacked the captain with a crash ax and attempted to take control of the plane, according to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and passengers aboard.
A former deputy head of aviation security at El Al, Eytan Ben David, stated that Israel’s protocols should have barred the pilot from flying to Tel Aviv due to his nationality. He emphasized that Oman’s lack of formal diplomatic ties with Israel should have been sufficient reason to prevent him from operating in Israeli airspace.
The captain, Smit Machchhar, managed to resist the co-pilot long enough to unlock the cockpit door, allowing other passengers and crew to intervene. Two off-duty pilots on board helped regain control of the aircraft, leading to an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
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Ben David noted that he previously blocked an Iranian pilot from flying into Israel under similar rules, which also apply to Iran. He called the incident a major failure and a miracle that the attack was thwarted.
Israel passed a 2023 law requiring foreign airlines to submit passenger and crew lists ahead of flights to the country. However, following the alleged hijacking, Israeli agencies denied responsibility for vetting foreign flight crews, placing the burden on the transportation ministry’s security branch.
Surveillance revealed the co-pilot had visited radical websites, leading Oman Air to transfer him to an office role. He later resigned and left the airline around 2024, though Oman has not officially confirmed his nationality.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)
