Flydubai co-pilot attacked captain with crash axe in alleged mid-air 'terrorist' act

UAE prosecutors say the co-pilot of Flydubai flight FZ1073 assaulted the captain with the cockpit crash axe and tried to take control of the plane during a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv, in what officials have described as an attempted "terrorist attack".

According to a statement reported by the United Arab Emirates' prosecutor general and carried by multiple outlets, the incident occurred while the flight was en route to Israel. Passengers and crew intervened and subdued the co-pilot, preventing him from completing the takeover, the statement said. The aircraft experienced a steep plunge during the episode; some reports said the jet dropped sharply, and one outlet reported a descent of about 17,000 feet.

Passengers and crew stabilised the aircraft and the flight landed without further reported injury, officials said. Sources give different counts for the number of people on board: the Guardian cited 182 people, while other reports described the passenger total as "more than 170." Leadership reported the incident happened roughly two and a half hours into the flight.

An identity for the accused has been published by some media outlets. The BBC said several outlets named the man as Hamam al-Hammami; that naming has not been confirmed by UAE prosecutors in the statements summarised by other sources.

The UAE prosecutor general said the incident is being treated as an attempted terrorist act. Al Jazeera and other outlets reported that a formal probe is under way to establish the full circumstances and motive. Flydubai itself has said the circumstances are still subject to investigation.

The Guardian additionally reported that Oman had previously barred the co-pilot from flying because of concerns over extremist views; that detail was included in the UAE statement as summarised by the paper.

Why it matters

An onboard assault on flight crew that nearly caused a major loss of control raises immediate aviation-safety, security and regulatory questions. Authorities in the UAE have described the event as an attempted terrorist attack and have opened an investigation to determine motive and how the co-pilot obtained access to tools such as the cockpit crash axe. The differing passenger counts and the fact some details—such as the suspect's name and past flight restrictions—have been reported by only some outlets underline that authorities are still releasing information as the inquiry proceeds.

Flydubai and UAE authorities are expected to provide further updates as investigators complete their review of the incident, interview crew and passengers, and examine flight data and cockpit voice recordings.