On September 30, 2026, FlyDubai Flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport nearly ended in catastrophe when Omani co-pilot Hamam al-Hammami launched a violent attack on Indian captain Smit Machchhar inside the cockpit using the aircraft’s crash axe. The plane, carrying more than 170 mostly Israeli passengers, plunged thousands of feet in seconds as al-Hammami tried to seize the controls and divert the jet toward a crash at Israel’s main airport. Al-Hammami was already known for radical Islamist views, prior scrutiny in Oman that once removed him from flying duties, and social-media posts featuring Al-Qaeda imagery, yet he was still cleared to operate the sensitive route. Despite suffering serious wounds that left him bleeding on the floor, Captain Machchhar managed to unlock the cockpit door and let help inside. Israeli passengers and two off-duty pilots then rushed forward, overpowered the attacker, and stabilized the damaged aircraft. The Boeing 737 MAX ultimately made an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, with every soul on board surviving what authorities later called an attempted terrorist act.

One of the key passengers who helped subdue al-Hammami was Israeli Yaniv Hayun, who pulled the co-pilot away from the controls and briefly leveled the diving plane before professional pilots took over. Hayun, later praised by U.S. President Donald Trump as the “Israeli plumber” who stepped up without aviation training, has been noted as a Trump supporter in the aftermath of the ordeal. His quick intervention, combined with the captain’s determination and the collective action of other Israeli travelers, prevented what many described as a potential 9/11-style disaster. The incident has raised sharp questions about how a pilot with documented extremist red flags was allowed to fly a plane packed with Israeli citizens straight toward Ben Gurion. All passengers reached safety later that day, but the near-miss has left investigators across multiple countries examining motives, vetting failures, and the chilling reality of what was stopped just in time.