In an explosive confession from the Flydubai first officer, Omani national and 'terrorist' pilot Hamam Al-Hamami told Saudi investigators that his intention was to destroy the plane along with its passengers. Not only that, but the accused pilot also stated during questioning, 'I do not fear death.' Citing Saudi investigators, The Wall Street Journal has brought this information to light.
It was initially suspected that bloodshed in the cockpit was the result of a personal rivalry between the two pilots. However, Saudi authorities have clearly stated that there was no personal grudge, and Hamam's plan was a terrorist attack.
The Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv faced a massive mid-air crisis last Wednesday. Hamam was attempting to divert the plane toward Saudi Arabia. Sensing this, Smeet tried to stop him, at which point Hamam attacked Smeet in the cockpit with an axe. Ultimately, through Smeet's bravery and the assistance of others on board, the aircraft landed safely. However, many questions surrounded the entire sequence of events from the beginning. Some believed the bloodshed in the cockpit was due to personal enmity between the two pilots, but Saudi authorities explicitly stated that this was no personal vendetta and Hamam's plan was a terrorist attack.
Following his repatriation from Saudi Arabia, 29-year-old pilot Hamam Al-Hamami is now being interrogated by United Arab Emirates officials. On Saturday, the UAE Attorney General stated that the assistant pilot had indeed planned to carry out a militant attack. Alongside Saudi Arabia and the UAE, Israel is also investigating the case to determine whether Hamami had ties to any external forces. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has already stated that the militant pilot's objective was to destroy the plane and kill Israeli citizens.
It is known that due to his indoctrination with extremist and radical ideologies, Omani authorities had previously banned him from flying, but Hamami later concealed this information and secured a job at Flydubai.
Source: The Wall Street Journal
