The co-pilot's plot to bring down a FlyDubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv and cause massive destruction like 9/11 failed at the last minute. The co-pilot, who attacked the captain with an axe while the plane was in the air, was bravely captured by the crew and passengers. In this incident, Captain Smith Machar, an Indian-origin, fought heroically and averted a major accident.

Omani co-pilot Hamam al-Hamami, attacked Captain Smith Machar with an axe while the plane was approaching Tel Aviv but was in Jordanian airspace. The suspect confessed during interrogation by UAE authorities that he had planned to kill the captain and crash the plane into Ben Gurion Airport in Israel or the skyscrapers of Tel Aviv.

Despite a severe head injury, Captain Smith Machar fought bravely. He immediately sent emergency signals and opened the cockpit door. The alerted flight crew and passengers restrained and tied up the co-pilot. The plane was later safely landed in Saudi Arabia with the help of two 'off-duty' pilots on board.

Initial investigations revealed that Hamam al-Hamami was influenced by extremist ideology and had posted online in support of al-Qaeda. It is noteworthy that he revealed that he had joined Flydubai with the sole aim of attacking Tel Aviv. Israeli media reports stated that he had been gathering information for this attack for the past few months. Although the attack was planned in July, the investigation revealed that it failed. The incident exposed serious security flaws in the pilot recruitment process. An in-depth investigation is currently underway into how FlyDubai management offered a job to a man who was banned from flying in his home country of Oman due to his extremist ideology.