UAE says Flydubai co-pilot attempted 'terrorist act'

UAE Attorney General Hamad Saif al-Shamsi announced that a co-pilot attempted a "terrorist act" aboard a Flydubai flight by attacking the captain with a crash axe, saying the ongoing probe will examine the motives and connections behind the Wednesday incident.

Investigation findings

The co-pilot tried to use the crash axe — an emergency tool stored in the cockpit — to assault the captain and seize control of the aircraft, al-Shamsi said in a statement carried by the state-run WAM news agency. The investigation will "uncover all the circumstances of the incident, its motives, and related connections," he said.

Emergency landing

Flydubai flight FZ1073 was carrying 174 passengers from Dubai to Tel Aviv when crew members intervened to secure the flight deck. The aircraft diverted to Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, where it landed safely following the mid-air incident.

Airline response

Flydubai said earlier that "an altercation occurred in the flight deck" and that crew members secured the aircraft before it diverted safely to Saudi Arabia. Final findings will be announced once the necessary procedures are completed, al-Shamsi added.