A pilot already sits in the cockpit, knows the aircraft, knows its systems, and does not need to overcome any security checkpoint. If this very man becomes a terrorist, one of the most important security measures in modern aviation suddenly turns into a trap. It is precisely this scenario that makes the case of FlyDubai FZ1073 so explosive, far beyond the individual flight. The immediate catastrophe was prevented, but for Israel a more dangerous question now arises: Who was behind the Omani co-pilot? Was he a radicalized lone actor, part of a terrorist network, or does the trail lead to a state actor?
What is now considered established fact is dramatic enough. The co-pilot attacked the Indian captain Smit Machchhar during the flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv. The aircraft lost altitude rapidly and dramatically. The seriously injured captain was eventually able to open the cockpit door, passengers and crew members overpowered the attacker, and another flight crew on board brought the aircraft safely to Tabuk in Saudi Arabia. There were 174 passengers on board, predominantly Israelis.
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