flydubai co-pilot attacked Capt. Smit Machchhar with crash axe, attempted ‘terrorist’ attack on Dubai-Tel Aviv flight: UAE

The co-pilot of flydubai flight FZ1073, who stabbed Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar, attempted a " terrorist " attack while the aircraft was in the air, UAE Prosecutor General Hamad Saif Al Shamsi said on Saturday, according to state news agency WAM .

The flight was bound to Tel Aviv from Dubai . He has been identified as Hammam al-Hammami, an Omani national, Reuters reported. However, the UAE authorities are yet to confirm his identity.

According to Al Shamsi, the co-pilot attacked the pilot inside the cockpit using a crash axe and tried to seize control of the aircraft. Such axes are generally kept in cockpits to deal with emergencies, including crashes.

The UAE prosecutor general said investigators are examining the circumstances surrounding the incident, the suspect's motives and possible links. They are also analysing physical and digital evidence as part of the probe.

Al Shamsi's remarks marked the first time UAE authorities had publicly described the incident as an attempted "terrorist" attack.

The incident took place on Wednesday, September 30, while the flight was travelling from the UAE to Israel with 174 passengers and crew on board. Passengers and crew members managed to overpower the co-pilot after he attacked the captain, with Israeli officials saying the assault appeared to be an attempt to bring down the aircraft.

A reserve flydubai pilot who was travelling on the flight then took control and diverted the aircraft to Tabuk airport in northwestern Saudi Arabia . Soon after landing, Saudi authorities detained the al-Hammami.

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The airline said the incident was still being investigated and that it could not comment further at this stage, Reuters reported.

An Israeli government official said Israeli investigators would participate in the UAE-led probe. The investigation will look into the incident as well as the suspect's background and motives.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Friday that Israel was examining whether the co-pilot had acted on instructions from another person or entity, warning that anyone involved would pay a "heavy price".

A day earlier, Netanyahu had said the co-pilot, whom he identified as an Omani national, had undergone radical Islamist indoctrination and appeared suicidal. He stressed, however, that a motive had not yet been established. Most passengers on the flight were Israeli nationals.

Flight-tracking data from Flightradar24 showed that the aircraft lost around 16,625 feet in altitude in just over 30 seconds while flying over Saudi Arabia. The flight was travelling from the UAE to Israel, a route frequently used by Israeli travellers.