In a phone conversation held on Saturday, Machchhar explained to Prime Minister Netanyahu that during Flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv on Wednesday, his Omani co-pilot—identified as Hamam Al-Hamami—instructed him to pray. Four to five minutes later, Machchhar suffered repeated heavy blows to the back of his head. Initially suspecting severe mechanical failure or violent turbulence, the captain quickly realized he was being struck repeatedly by Al-Hamami using the cockpit's emergency crash axe. After collapsing, Machchhar used his remaining strength to override the internal security lock on the cockpit door, enabling cabin crew members and off-duty pilots traveling as passengers to breach the flight deck and subdue the co-pilot. The Boeing 737 MAX, carrying nearly 180 passengers, plummeted roughly 16,000 feet during the struggle before being stabilized and safely diverted to Tabuk Airport in northwestern Saudi Arabia.