- Co-pilot attacked captain, attempted control; passengers intervened, restrained.
- New video shows restrained co-pilot; passengers insisted police handover.
- Passengers refused crew’s release request, ensuring co-pilot’s survival.
A new video from inside the Tel Aviv-bound Flydubai flight FZ1073 shows passengers restraining Omani co-pilot Hamam al-Hammami, who is accused of attacking Indian Captain Smit Machchhar and attempting to take control of the aircraft.
The 45-second footage, shared by Israel-based news channel i24NEWS, shows al-Hammami on his knees inside the aircraft with his hands tied behind his back. His clothes appear to have bloodstains.
Passengers can be heard repeatedly saying “just police” and “only police” as they keep the co-pilot restrained, making it clear that they would release him only to the authorities.
‘One Hr, 40 Mins. More Five Minutes’: Video
The video offers a glimpse into the tense moments after passengers and crew intervened during the alleged attempt to seize control of the aircraft.
🚨WATCH: New footage of the flydubai co-pilot handcuffed at the aircraft by Israeli passengers as the plane landed in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday. Passengers can be heared saying he can only be released to the hands of the local police. https://t.co/Cc7eYIj1R3
— גיא עזריאל Guy Azriel | Diplomatic Correspondent (@GuyAz) October 3, 2026
At one point, an unidentified passenger can be heard saying, “One hour, 40 minutes. More five minutes.” The comment appears to refer to the time the passengers had already spent restraining al-Hammami and their willingness to wait a few more minutes before handing him over to the police.
The footage comes after two passengers involved in restraining the co-pilot told The New York Post that members of the flight crew had asked them to release him.
“They were asking us to untie the terrorist. We had no idea why,” banking executive Tzvika Manes told the newspaper.
Real estate professional Daniel Schlichter, another passenger who helped restrain al-Hammami, said the request immediately raised suspicions.
“They were saying to free the terrorist. We got instantly suspicious of them,” he said.
An argument followed, according to the passengers, who said they made it clear that al-Hammami would not be released.
“They said, ‘You are not God, you are not going to kill him,’” Manes recalled, stressing that the passengers wanted to prevent further harm rather than kill the co-pilot.
The passengers also gave al-Hammami an oxygen mask because they wanted him to survive and face investigators.
“We wanted him to live so he could be investigated,” Schlichter said.
UAE Calls It Attempted Terrorist Act
The UAE authorities have described the incident as an attempted terrorist act, saying al-Hammami attacked Captain Machchhar with a crash axe and tried to take control of the aircraft.
The incident began after the co-pilot allegedly attacked Machchhar inside the cockpit. Despite being injured, the Indian captain managed to open the cockpit door, alerting people on board to the situation as the aircraft went into a steep descent.
Passengers rushed towards the cockpit after hearing the commotion. They were joined by two off-duty Flydubai pilots who were travelling as passengers and were scheduled to operate the aircraft’s return journey.
The two pilots took control of the aircraft and helped stabilise it before the plane was diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, where it landed safely.
Passengers Overpowered And Restrained Co-Pilot
Among those who intervened were passengers Yaniv Hayun, Asaf Rajuan and Tzvika Manes, who helped overpower and restrain al-Hammami.
Dentist Shota Musaev provided first aid to the injured Captain Machchhar. Musaev said the pilot had suffered extensive injuries and significant blood loss.
The latest footage provides a closer look at the moments after passengers managed to overpower the co-pilot and prevent him from being released until police arrived.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: abplive.com
