Flydubai Co-Pilot Attacked Captain With Crash Axe, Tried To Seize Plane In ‘Terrorist Act’: UAE

Flydubai Co-Pilot Attacked Captain: UAE officials say a Flydubai co-pilot attacked the captain with a crash axe and tried to seize control of the Israel-bound plane in a "terrorist act".

Flydubai Co-Pilot Attacked Captain: People on board intervened to stop the co-pilot's assault. The captain survived, and the aircraft was brought under control and diverted for an emergency landing.

Source : ABPLIVE AI

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Key points generated by AI, verified by newsroom

• Co-pilot attacked captain using crash axe mid-flight.
• UAE declared incident a terrorist act; plane nearly crashed.
• Passengers intervened, averting crash; captain survived, plane diverted.

Flydubai Co-Pilot Attacked Captain: The United Arab Emirates has provided fresh details about the mid-air assault aboard a Flydubai flight bound for Israel, saying the co-pilot used the aircraft's emergency crash axe to attack the captain and attempted to take control of the plane. The UAE attorney general described the incident as a "terrorist act", offering the most detailed official account so far of the confrontation inside the cockpit. The aircraft reportedly went into a sharp descent during the episode, raising the risk of a crash before passengers and others aboard intervened.

Crash Axe Used In Cockpit

According to UAE officials, the first officer took the crash axe mounted inside the cockpit and used it against the captain.

The co-pilot then allegedly tried to take control of the aircraft. Officials said the plane came dangerously close to crashing during the incident, as per reports.

There were 182 people aboard the flight, according to the latest account from UAE authorities. Earlier reports had put the number of passengers and crew at 174.

The attack was ultimately stopped after people on board intervened. The captain survived the assault, while the aircraft was brought under control and diverted for an emergency landing.

The UAE attorney general characterised the incident as a "terrorist act", marking the strongest official description yet of the attack.

Suspect Identified As Omani

Three people familiar with the case identified the suspected co-pilot as Hamam al-Hammami, an Omani national.

The sources included a Gulf diplomat and a Western diplomat. They spoke anonymously because they were not authorised to discuss the investigation publicly.

Al-Hammami's identity has been a subject of scrutiny following the incident, with earlier reports also examining his professional history and alleged extremist interests.

However, authorities have not publicly established a motive or released a detailed account of what prompted the alleged attack.

Probe Into Possible Extremist Links

Investigators are now examining whether the co-pilot acted independently or had links to a wider extremist network.

The Gulf diplomat said authorities were investigating whether al-Hammami was a "lone wolf or has any connection with any extremist groups."

That question is likely to form a key part of the investigation as officials examine his background, previous employment and activities before the flight.

The latest account also adds to earlier reports concerning his time in the aviation industry.

Oman Had Reportedly Grounded Pilot

A person familiar with the case separately said Oman had previously prevented al-Hammami from flying because of concerns that he had developed extremist views.

The reported restriction has raised questions about how he subsequently returned to a flying role and ended up as a co-pilot on a Flydubai flight travelling to Israel.

Earlier accounts had linked him to Oman Air, where he reportedly underwent pilot training before being moved to an office position. He was later reported to have joined Flydubai.

The new details from UAE authorities, combined with accounts from people familiar with the investigation, have intensified scrutiny of the co-pilot's history and the checks conducted before he was allowed to operate passenger flights.