Omani co-pilot planned to crash flydubai jet into Ben Gurion Airport

A flydubai co-pilot, Omani national Hamam al-Hammami, allegedly planned to crash a passenger aircraft into Ben Gurion Airport in Israel, according to investigators, after attacking the captain mid-flight. Al-Hammami told investigators he joined flydubai specifically because it flew to Tel Aviv, intending to kill Captain Smit Machchhar in the locked cockpit and crash the plane into a building or another aircraft. He had scouted targets during previous trips to Israel and originally planned the attack for July, also considering a US military base in Jordan as an alternative target. During the attack over Jordan, al-Hammami switched off engines and pushed rudders, causing a rapid 16,000-foot descent. Captain Machchhar, despite injuries, forced open the cockpit door, and passengers restrained the co-pilot while off-duty pilots landed the plane safely in Saudi Arabia. Australian authorities are investigating his past studies in Melbourne, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered a review of international flight security.