U.A.E. says co-pilot on FlyDubai plane that nearly crashed attacked captain with cockpit's crash axe

Passengers embark on a FlyDubai aircraft at Ben Gurion International Airport, near Tel Aviv, Israel, on Wednesday. (Ariel Schalit/The Associated Press)Social SharingThe co-pilot suspected of stabbing the captain of an Israel-bound FlyDubai flight before passengers and others stopped the attack is an Omani national named Hamam al-Hammami, three people with knowledge of the situation, including a Gulf and Western diplomat, said on Saturday.

The United Arab Emirates prosecutor general said Saturday that the co-pilot attacked the captain with the cockpit's crash axe and tried to take control of the plane in a "terrorist attack."

"Investigations into the incident involving FlyDubai flight FZ1073 found that the co-pilot had attempted to carry out a terrorist attack," Prosecutor General Hamad Saif Al Shamsi said in a statement carried by the U.A.E's state news agency.

The prosecutor general's comments were the first by Emirati investigators to describe the incident as an attempted terrorist attack. While Emirati authorities and the airline have not publicly identified the co-pilot, Israeli officials have previously said he is an Omani national.

All three people who identified the co-pilot spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media. The Gulf diplomat said investigations are underway to establish whether he acted as a "lone wolf or has any connection with any extremist groups."

The co-pilot, who officials said nearly crashed the sharply plummeting flight with more than 170 people aboard, was barred from flying by Oman over concerns he had adopted extremist views, a separate person familiar with the matter said.

The co-pilot was then hired by the U.A.E-based airline FlyDubai, the person said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing investigation. It was not immediately clear to what extent he was vetted when he was hired. Oman's barring of him was first reported by The Wall Street Journal.

How the co-pilot managed to be working in the cockpit on Wednesday morning is a central question for investigators. Israel says it has agreements with foreign carriers to keep pilots from flying into the country if they are citizens of nations that don't maintain diplomatic relations with it. Israel and Oman do not have formal diplomatic relations.

There was no immediate comment from the U.A.E government or Oman Air. Oman's government has said nothing publicly in response to repeated questions since the incident.

FlyDubai said the circumstances surrounding the incident were still under investigation and that it was not in a position to comment further, a spokesperson said on Saturday.

The co-pilot was born in the U.A.E and his mother is Syrian, according to another regional official with knowledge of the investigation.

The official confirmed that the co-pilot worked with Oman's national airline but was removed from flying because of concerns that he showed signs of extremist views. He was later moved to an administrative job at Oman Air, the official said.

Security agencies from four regional countries were working to establish the co-pilot's motives, aided by the United States and other Western governments, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss details of the investigation.

U.A.E senior diplomatic adviser Anwar Gargash on Friday called the attack a "dangerous terrorist act" in a post on X. The incident is a test for the U.A.E government, which has earned a reputation for effective measures against extremist activities but has also bristled in the past over criticism of security lapses.

Little else was immediately known about the co-pilot's background. His Instagram account was active until the day of the flight and then deleted.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday said the co-pilot had undergone "Islamist radicalization," but provided no evidence.

The captain, who was badly wounded, has said he used his remaining energy while being stabbed to unlock the cockpit door, allowing people who had noticed alarmingly unusual sounds to come in, tackle the co-pilot and stabilize the plane. It made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia.

Investigators have not publicly identified the object used to stab the captain or said whether it was carried onto the plane or came from inside the aircraft.

Both the captain and co-pilot were later taken to the U.A.E as it leads the investigation. Officials have said a number of countries including Israel are participating.

An Israeli government official confirmed that Israeli investigators would take part alongside Emirati authorities in the U.A.E-led investigation.

The aircraft dropped about 16,625 feet in just over 30 seconds while flying over Saudi Arabia on its journey from the U.A.E. to Israel, according to flight-tracking data from Flightradar24. The route is popular among Israeli travellers. Most passengers aboard the plane were Israeli nationals.

Once crew and passengers intervened, the plane landed safely in Saudi Arabia.