Captain Smit Machchhar fought back and opened the cockpit door, letting passengers overpower attacker

New York, Oct 3: The flydubai co-pilot accused of attacking Indian Captain Smit Machchhar and allegedly trying to sabotage a Dubai-Tel Aviv flight on Wednesday has been identified as Omani citizen Hamam al-Hammami, according to a report in a US publication.

The Wall Street Journal, citing people familiar with the matter, reported that Omani authorities had earlier barred al-Hammami from flying because of his radical ideological views. "The alleged attacker is an Omani national named Hamam al-Hammami," the report said, adding that he was born to an Omani father and a Syrian mother.

On flydubai flight FZ1073, the co-pilot stabbed and seriously wounded Machchhar, who fought back and managed to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers to overpower the attacker. The aircraft, carrying 174 passengers, sent out emergency signals and descended rapidly by more than 17,000 feet from 34,000 feet. It was then diverted to Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Airport in Saudi Arabia's Tabuk city, where authorities took al-Hammami into custody.

On Friday, Machchhar spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the phone and described the harrowing moments after the attack. He said he was fighting for his life but was determined not to let others die. He did not reveal what prompted the attack or the co-pilot's motive.

Machchhar is being treated at a hospital in the UAE. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised him as a "true hero".