A few days later, the co-pilot of Dubai Airways made the decision Violent attempt crashes passenger plane and was subdued by passengers and other crew members, questions about his motives continued. He is currently on trial in the United Arab Emirates.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv on Wednesday was approaching Israel when the co-pilot allegedly stabbed the captain and tried to crash the plane. The captain fought with the first officer long enough to open the cockpit door. Subsequently, the passengers subdued the co-pilot, and the two off-duty pilots on board successfully took control of the aircraft and made an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
The co-pilot is currently being questioned in the United Arab Emirates.
174 people in total on the plane. No passengers were seriously injured in the incident. The pilot suffered stab wounds in the attack. Saudi authorities said two crew members were hospitalized with unspecified injuries and the co-pilot remained in custody Thursday.
Who is the co-pilot of Dubai Air?
The co-pilot on the flight has not been identified publicly, but multiple sources familiar with the investigation told CBS News on Friday that his name was Hamam Al-Khami. Israeli investigators believe He plays a lone wolfpeople familiar with the matter told CBS News on Sunday.
Al Hami worked for Oman Air for a short period, where he received new pilot training. Omani government monitors caught him visiting radical websites, sources said. Oman Air subsequently transferred him to an office role.
One of the sources said the pilot quit his job with Oman Air after being placed on duty. He left the airline around 2024.
Sources said Khami had posted a video of an El Al plane in Dubai that included a photo at the end of the video showing prominent al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri. who was killed 2022 U.S. Drone Attacks.
Alhami moved to Dubai and FlyDubai hired him without being vetted by the Omani government, sources told CBS News.
Sources said Hamimi is an Omani citizen but was not born in the country. Sources revealed that he has spent most of his life outside Oman and is the son of a Syrian mother and an Omani father.
The Omani government has not publicly confirmed his nationality.
Sources said he may have dual citizenship, as that would explain how he was allowed to fly to Israel.
Co-pilot’s motive unknown
The co-pilot’s alleged motive for the attack remains unclear. He attacked his fellow pilot with an emergency ax from the cockpit, the UAE attorney general said on Saturday.
“As time goes on, it becomes clearer; the attacker experienced Islamic radicalization. He came to crash the plane and the passengers,” Netanyahu said in a statement on Friday. “We are investigating whether he was sent, and whoever sent him will pay a very heavy price.”
Netanyahu CBS News speculates Wednesday The incident “looked like a suicide attempt,” with witnesses saying the co-pilot was trying to interfere with the plane’s equipment rather than stabilize the plane. Netanyahu told Fox News on Thursday that after the passenger overpowered the co-pilot, he yelled that someone had killed him.
In the same interview with Fox, Netanyahu said “personal information” collected during ongoing questioning led Israel to conclude that the co-pilot “had been brainwashed by Islamic radicalism.” He provided no further information.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz on Wednesday called the incident “an attempted jihadist terrorist attack” and called the co-pilot a “terrorist.”
President Trump suggested on Thursday “Based on what I’m hearing,” the first officer may have ties to Iran.
“We’re working on it now,” Mr. Trump said. “They’ve been very open to us. Based on what I’ve heard, I’d say the answer is yes. But we’re working on that right now.”
His comments went further than those of Netanyahu, who told Fox it was “too early” to say whether Iran was involved.
An Israeli security official told CBS News that authorities were investigating whether the incident was an attempted September 11th-style terrorist attack and whether the attacker acted alone. Netanyahu has warned in recent days that Israel and its interests face escalating security threats as Israel continues to take actions against Iran’s ally Hamas in the Middle East. Gaza Strip and Lebanese Hezbollah.
First officer to be questioned in UAE
The first officer was immediately arrested.
An Israeli official confirmed to CBS News on Friday that he was transferred from Saudi Arabia to the United Arab Emirates on Thursday to be questioned by Israeli, Emirati and Saudi officials.
On Wednesday, Netanyahu said the man “is being questioned by the Saudi authorities” and confirmed that Israeli authorities would “join the interrogation and find out what exactly happened there.”
Netanyahu did not reveal what information led investigators to conclude the co-pilot had undergone radicalization.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect that the pilot resigned from Oman Air and was not fired.