The co-pilot of flydubai flight FZ1073 attacked the captain with a crash axe and attempted to take control of the aircraft in what United Arab Emirates authorities have described as an attempted “terrorist” attack, the UAE prosecutor general said on Saturday.
The co-pilot was identified by a source with direct knowledge of the matter as Hammam al-Hammami, an Omani national, Reuters reported. UAE authorities had not publicly confirmed his identity at the time of reporting.
UAE Prosecutor General Hamad Saif Al Shamsi said the co-pilot attacked the captain inside the cockpit using a crash axe, an emergency tool typically kept on aircraft, before attempting to seize control of the plane. His remarks marked the first time Emirati authorities publicly characterised the incident as an attempted terrorist attack.
Authorities said investigations were continuing to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident, including the suspect’s motive, any possible connections and evidence recovered from physical and digital sources.
The incident occurred on September 30 while the flydubai flight was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv with more than 170 passengers and crew on board, most of them Israeli nationals. Passengers and crew members subdued the co-pilot after the cockpit attack, preventing what Israeli officials said appeared to be an attempt to crash the aircraft.
A reserve pilot travelling on board subsequently helped take control of the aircraft, which was diverted to Tabuk airport in northwestern Saudi Arabia. Saudi authorities detained the co-pilot after the plane landed safely.
Flight-tracking data reviewed by Reuters showed the aircraft plunged approximately 16,625 feet in just over 30 seconds while flying over Saudi Arabia before recovering.
Flydubai said the circumstances of the incident remained under investigation and that the airline was not in a position to comment further.
Israeli investigators are expected to participate alongside Emirati authorities in the UAE-led investigation, according to Reuters. The inquiry is expected to examine the sequence of events aboard the aircraft as well as the co-pilot’s background and possible motives.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Friday that authorities were examining whether the co-pilot had acted under instructions from others. A day earlier, Netanyahu said the man appeared to have undergone radical Islamist indoctrination and appeared suicidal, while acknowledging that investigators had not yet established a motive.
The UAE prosecutor’s description of the incident as terrorism represents a significant development in the investigation, although authorities have yet to publicly establish the suspected motive or disclose evidence of any organisational links.
Claims regarding the suspect’s motives, radicalisation and possible connections remain under investigation and have not been independently established.
This is a developing story.
