Flydubai co-pilot planned to crash Tel Aviv flight, reports say
A Flydubai co-pilot allegedly planned to crash a Tel Aviv-bound flight into Ben Gurion Airport or a building, according to US and Israeli reports. The suspect, an Omani national, was subdued by passengers after attacking the captain. The co-pilot, named in reports as Hamam al-Hamami, allegedly attacked the captain with an emergency crash axe on flight FZ1073 last Wednesday. After the captain opened the cockpit door, passengers restrained him, and another crew member landed the plane in Saudi Arabia. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed the co-pilot was "brainwashed" with Islamist extremist ideology. Oman Air had previously grounded the co-pilot over extremist concerns, but Flydubai hired him after a standard security check. Israeli officials are disputing responsibility for screening foreign airline crews, while Australian authorities are investigating his time studying there from 2015 to 2017.