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UAE prosecutor general: Flydubai co-pilot's cockpit axe attack was an attempted terrorist act
The UAE prosecutor general said on October 3 that investigators found the flydubai FZ1073 co-pilot attempted to carry out a "terrorist attack" by attacking the captain with a crash axe — the first time Emirati authorities have described the September 30 incident that way.
Why it matters
UAE Prosecutor General Hamad Saif Al Shamsi said on Saturday, October 3, in a statement carried by the UAE's state news agency, that investigators found the flydubai flight FZ1073 co-pilot had "attempted to carry out a terrorist attack." It is the first time Emirati authorities have described the September 30 in-flight scare as attempted terrorism; the airline had initially called it only an "altercation."
What the prosecutor said
The co-pilot attacked the pilot inside the cockpit with a crash axe — kept on board for emergencies — and attempted to take control of the aircraft. The suspect's motives and any related connections are still under investigation; findings will be released once the "necessary procedures" are completed. The UAE is leading the investigation. The airline is owned by Dubai's government.
Recap
On September 30, FZ1073 (Dubai to Tel Aviv, Boeing 737-8) saw an attack inside the cockpit; the injured captain managed to open the cockpit door, and passengers and crew subdued the co-pilot. A reserve crew member on board landed the plane at Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. More than 170 passengers and crew, most of them Israeli nationals, were all safe. Reuters cited sources identifying the co-pilot as Omani national Hamam al-Hammami; UAE authorities have not confirmed his identity.
Sources: Reuters (Dubai/Tel Aviv, October 3); UAE state news agency.
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