Crisis Above the Clouds
By Liya Shah Nov. 4, 2026
On Sept. 30, Smit Machchhar and Hamam al-Hammami were piloting a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv-Yafo when Hammami turned on Machchhar and stabbed him with an emergency crash axe. The plane, carrying 174 passengers—mostly Israelis—plummeted 17,400 feet in two minutes while Hammami tried to maneuver the plane into Ben Gurion Airport, about a dozen miles from Tel Aviv. Machchhar, despite being wounded, unlocked the cockpit door to allow passengers and crew in. Four passengers stepped in to restrain the hijacker, and two off-duty pilots stepped in to safely land the Boeing 737 in Saudi Arabia.
According to CNN, this entire event took place about two hours after take-off. The plane erupted into chaos as the aircraft began to plunge. Meanwhile, inside the cockpit, Tali Manes, his wife Zvika Manes, Yaniv Hayun, a plumber, and Dr. Shota Musayev, a dentist, rushed in to restrain Hammami. The passengers tied up Hammami with nearby headphone wires and later, with cable ties. Machchhar, who was suffering from serious blood loss, was assisted by Dr. Musayev, who applied pressure to the wound for 45 minutes with T-shirts and ice in an attempt to stop the bleeding.
After this incident, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) attorney general ordered an investigation into his background to determine whether Hammami's attack was a planned act of terrorism. Investigators have reportedly found that Hammami was influenced by extremist publications that glorified terrorist attacks like 9/11, which may have contributed to his alleged plan to crash the plane into Ben Gurion Airport, reported the New York Times.
This incident has raised questions for passengers about whether existing screening procedures during flight school are up to par and do an adequate enough job of identifying threats in pilots. Investigators are analyzing whether warning signs were missed for Hammami, ignored or just not found.
“I used to believe airline safety was something I could just blindly trust, but now I am not so sure. After this incident, I realized how quickly an ordinary flight can turn into an emergency. I think airlines need to continue to strengthen their security measures and make sure passengers know how to respond to emergencies,” Junior Gowri Paliwal said.
The importance of teaching passengers how to respond to unexpected incidents was also reinforced by the hijacking. The swift actions taken by the passengers helped to bring the situation under control and allowed the plane to safely make an emergency landing. Although a safety video will not prevent every dangerous situation, teaching passengers how to respond could help them stay calm, understand how to assist in emergencies and avoid panicking.
“Airlines should enforce the viewing of safety materials more strictly. Most people do not watch the safety videos and demonstrations on flight, which is a safety risk that could be life-threatening,” Freshman Kavya Arun said.
The incident highlights the importance of passenger involvement when responding to potential threats in an aircraft. The case will continue to raise questions surrounding commercial aircraft safety and existing measures, including pilot screening and emergency response procedures.
About the Contributors
Liya Shah
Staff Writer
Liya Shah is a freshman at Leland High School and writer for the Charger Account. She enjoys experimenting with her baked goods, reading mystery novels, and dance. Although Liya does like to write, she also has an interest in dentistry and hopes one day to become one.
Ophenia Wei
Artist
Ophenia Wei is a freshman at Leland High School and is an artist for The Charger Account. She enjoys crafting and drawing, as well as listening to Stray Kids and going to the beach.
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