FlyDubai plane attack by co-pilot was an attempted 'terrorist' act, UAE says

The co-pilot of a FlyDubai plane who attacked the flight's captain with an axe this week was attempting a terrorist attack, the United Arab Emirates said Saturday. "The co-pilot began executing his plan during the flight, attacking the captain inside the flight deck using a crash axe and attempting to take control of the aircraft," UAE Attorney-General Hamad Saif Al Shamsi said in a post on X titled: "Planning and attempted terrorist act behind flydubai flight FZ1073 incident." Anwar Gargash, senior advisor to the UAE's president, said the region's "struggle with extremism persists, and justifying terrorism through hate speech is part of the danger, not its margins." "The latest terrorist operation is a new warning that the confrontation has not ended," Gargash said in a post on X. The flight on Sept. 30 from Dubai to Tel Aviv was carrying 172 passengers and crew, according to UAE-based FlyDubai. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said most of those aboard were Israeli citizens, adding that the attacker "tried to crash the plane." The aircraft landed safely at Tabuk airport in Saudi Arabia. Media reports and witness accounts say passengers and crew subdued the co-pilot after he attacked the captain. Crash axes The UAE's attorney general's statement was the first time authorities have clarified the weapon the attacker used. Large aircraft are typically equipped with a so-called crash axe that flight crews can use to break out of their cockpit in emergencies, according to the UK Civil Aviation Authority and the Royal Air Force Museum. "Investigations are ongoing to establish the full circumstances, motives, and any links related to the incident, as well as to complete technical examinations and analysis of physical and digital evidence," the UAE's Al Shamsi said. The Associated Press identified the co-pilot as Omani national Hamam al-Hammami, citing three people with knowledge of the situation, including a Gulf and Western diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media. CNBC could not independently verify the co-pilot's identity. Netanyahu identified the injured pilot as Indian national Smit Machchhar. The Indian embassy in Riyadh said on X that Machchhar was in a hospital in Tabuk and reported to be in stable condition. FlyDubai later said the captain was returned to the UAE. The Israeli prime minister also identified the passenger who broke into the cockpit as Yaniv Hayun, calling him a "hero" and adding he deserved "a global medal of honor." Flight data from tracking site FlightRadar24 showed that the plane, a Boeing 737 Max 8, experienced extreme altitude fluctuations before broadcasting a "general emergency" squawk code. FZ1073 dropped from more than 14,000 feet in just 29 seconds, according to FlightRadar24. Transponder data showed vertical speeds ranging from about -30,000 to +10,000 feet per minute. Vertical speeds during normal operations rarely exceed plus or minus 4,000 feet per minute, FlightRadar24 said.