After a violent cockpit attack aroused concerns about a possible hijacking and a potential strike against targets in Israel, Israel was ready to take the drastic step of shooting down a Flydubai passenger plane carrying over 150 Israeli people.
On September 30, co-pilot Hamam al-Hammami allegedly attacked Captain Smit Machchhar and tried to take control of Flydubai Flight 1073, which was flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv.The airplane descended dramatically when the conflict broke out in the cockpit, apparently losing over 16,000 feet in less than 30 seconds.
The Israeli Air Force tried to radio the cockpit but got no answer.
In order to evaluate the growing threat, Israeli officials closed national airspace, set up a command center, and rushed fighter planes.
If the flight had proceeded on its way to Tel Aviv, Israeli fighter pilots were reportedly ready to intercept it and perform detailed visual inspections of the passenger cabin and cockpit.
Their goal would have been to ascertain whether the passengers seemed to be under pressure and whether the aircraft had been successfully taken over.
The issue would have been brought to the attention of Israel’s senior political officials, including the prime minister and defense minister, if a hijacking had been verified and the perpetrators had not spoken.
According to Israeli protocol, the Prime Minister alone has the power to command the destruction of a civilian aircraft.
According to reports, Israeli officials thought the plane could have been intercepted before it reached important national targets like Tel Aviv’s Azrieli Center or Ben Gurion Airport.
As the crisis developed within the region’s airspace, Saudi Arabia scrambled its own aircraft and Israeli fighter jets were later withdrawn.
Captain Machchhar’s actions, which saw him fight through serious injuries after being struck by a cockpit crash ax, were ultimately responsible for ending the crisis.
The immediate threat within the cockpit was then eliminated when passengers overcame al-Hammami.
