The UAE prosecutor general said the co-pilot of flydubai flight FZ1073 used a cockpit crash axe in an attempted “terrorist attack” on an Israel-bound flight, The Guardian reported. The newspaper said passengers and crew intervened, and two reserve pilots later landed the aircraft in Saudi Arabia.
The Guardian reported that prosecutor general Hamad Saif Al Shamsi said on Saturday that investigators found the co-pilot had attempted a “terrorist attack,” using a crash axe typically kept in the cockpit for emergencies. The report said the flight had 182 people on board and descended 16,625 feet in just over 30 seconds; it also reported that part of the rudder was torn off.
The newspaper said captain Smit Machchhar, who had multiple stab wounds, unlocked the cockpit door, allowing others to enter and restrain the co-pilot. Two reserve pilots on board then landed the aircraft at Tabuk airport in north-western Saudi Arabia at 06:58 local time. The captain and co-pilot were taken to the UAE, which is leading the investigation. Officials said several countries, including Israel, are participating.
The investigation was still underway, and the report said the co-pilot’s motive and whether he acted alone remained unresolved. It cited a Wall Street Journal report that he had been barred from flying in Oman over concerns about extremist views, moved to an administrative role at Oman Air and later hired by flydubai. The Guardian said the extent of his vetting when hired was not immediately clear. Flydubai said it could not comment further while the circumstances remained under investigation. Its Dubai–Tel Aviv flights were suspended until further notice.
Source: The Guardian.
