The attempted hijacking of Flydubai Flight FZ1073 is coming into sharper focus as the flight’s wounded captain recounts the attack and investigators examine evidence of the alleged attacker’s extremist views. New reporting is also raising serious questions about how a pilot previously flagged as a security concern was able to return to the cockpit.

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From Breitbart:

“It was a normal flight,” Machchhar said, recalling that his co-pilot, 29-year-old Omani national Hamam al-Hammami, told him that he wanted to pray.

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“Suddenly, after four or five minutes, there was a big blow to the back of my head,” he said.

“My first thought was that there was catastrophic damage to the aircraft,” Machchhar continued. “But after that, the blows kept coming, one after the other. That’s when I realized it’s not the aircraft, it’s the other guy who was in the cockpit with me.”

Captain Smit Machchhar said Hammami attacked him from behind with the Boeing 737 MAX’s cockpit crash axe before attempting to seize control of the aircraft. Despite suffering repeated blows to the head and blurred vision, Machchhar realized the plane was descending sharply and fought to reach the cockpit door. He eventually managed to open it, allowing passengers to rush in and overpower Hammami. Off-duty pilots aboard the flight then took control and safely landed the damaged aircraft in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.

Investigators are now examining evidence that may shed light on Hammami’s motives. Accounts bearing his name reportedly contained footage of Israeli aircraft and images of prominent al-Qaeda figures, while another social media account strongly linked to him reportedly contained thousands of posts featuring extremist rhetoric. Pro-al-Qaeda propaganda subsequently celebrated the attempted hijacking and encouraged additional attacks against aircraft carrying Americans and Israelis. Investigators, however, have not established an operational connection between Hammami and al-Qaeda or another terrorist organization.

The investigation is also focusing on how Hammami was able to fly commercially despite previously attracting scrutiny in Oman. Omani authorities had reportedly monitored him after discovering that he was visiting extremist websites, and Oman Air removed him from flying duties and placed him in an administrative position. After leaving the airline, Hammami eventually joined Flydubai, which reportedly hired him without conducting a background check with the Omani government.

The security questions extend beyond Flydubai. Hammami had reportedly flown the Dubai-Tel Aviv route several times, and although Flydubai provided Israeli authorities with crew information before Wednesday’s flight, his name triggered no warning. Israeli officials were reportedly unaware that Oman had previously barred him from flying over extremist concerns. The incident has now prompted scrutiny of how foreign flight crews are vetted and which Israeli agency bears responsibility for that process.

Hammami remains in UAE custody and is cooperating with investigators. According to sources briefed on the investigation, he has indicated that he intended to crash the aircraft in Israel. Authorities are still investigating whether he acted alone or received outside assistance.

Amid the disturbing revelations about extremist propaganda, security failures, and an apparent plan to destroy the aircraft, the actions of Machchhar and the passengers prevented an unimaginable loss of life. Severely wounded, the captain found enough strength to open the cockpit door, giving others the opportunity to intervene. Let’s thank God for the lives spared aboard Flight FZ1073, pray for Machchhar’s recovery, and pray for wisdom and discernment for authorities investigating the attack and working to prevent another like it.

Share your prayers for the passengers, crew, and investigators in the comments below.

(Excerpt from Breitbart. Photo Credit: Alexander Gluschenko/Pexels)