Flydubai co-pilot Hamam al-Hammani allegedly planned to kill the captain, seize control of a Dubai-Tel Aviv flight and crash it into a skyscraper in Tel Aviv in a 9/11-style attack, investigators have found. An initial Israeli investigation said the 29-year-old Omani national acted alone when he attacked Captain Smit Machchhar in the cockpit, CBS News reported.

Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera reported that al-Hammani planned to secretly kill Machchhar, shut down the aircraft’s engines and crash the plane into a building in Tel Aviv on September 30. During questioning in the UAE, al-Hammani reportedly told investigators that he intended to continue Flight 1073 normally after killing the captain, obtain landing clearance and then crash the aircraft into a building or another plane at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv.

The co-pilot reportedly planned to wait until the aircraft was over Jordan before taking control. This would have reduced the chances of raising an alarm and given him time to carry out the attack. Israeli media reported that he had first planned the attack in July but abandoned it at the last moment after learning that he was friends with a member of the crew.

The reported plan drew comparisons with the September 11, 2001, attacks in the United States. Nineteen al-Qaeda-trained hijackers seized four passenger aircraft and deliberately crashed three of them into the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon. Nearly 3,000 people were killed in the attacks.

On September 30, al-Hammani allegedly attacked Indian pilot Machchhar with a crash axe inside the cockpit and tried to take control of the aircraft. During the struggle, the Boeing 737 MAX 8 plunged from about 36,000 feet to nearly 17,000 feet within two minutes. The steep descent placed extreme stress on the aircraft and stripped parts of its rudder. The flight was carrying 174 passengers.

Machchhar, despite being injured, managed to open the cockpit door. Crew members and passengers then entered the flight deck and overpowered the co-pilot. Two off-duty pilots travelling on the aircraft later took control and safely landed the plane at Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia. The passengers were later flown to Ben Gurion Airport.

Israeli media reported that al-Hammani had visited Ben Gurion Airport several times in recent months while working for flydubai. During a visit in June, he allegedly focused on gathering information and preparing for the attack. He is under arrest in the UAE and is being questioned as part of the investigation.

Ynet, citing a senior Emirati source, reported that al-Hammani is expected to face capital punishment, with Abu Dhabi seeking the harshest possible penalty. No formal sentence has been announced.

Machchhar has received praise for his actions during the incident. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump have applauded his bravery. Modi also praised Machchhar at an event, saying an Indian had prevented a 9/11 attack-like tragedy.

Machchhar is recovering at a Dubai hospital after undergoing surgery and is out of danger. He also interacted with Modi and Netanyahu last week and spoke about the sequence of events.