The United Arab Emirates (UAE) Prosecutor General, Hamad Saif Al Shamsi, on Saturday said the co-pilot of Flydubai flight FZ1073 attempted to carry out a “terrorist” attack during the flight.
Al Shamsi said the co-pilot attacked the pilot inside the cockpit with a crash axe and attempted to take control of the aircraft.
A crash axe is typically kept in the cockpit for use during emergencies such as crashes.
The prosecutor general added that investigations are ongoing to determine the circumstances of the incident, the motives and any related connections, as well as to examine physical and digital evidence.
The co-pilot was identified as Hammam al-Hammami, an Omani national, a source with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters. UAE authorities did not immediately respond to a request for confirmation of his identity.
Al Shamsi’s comments were the first by Emirati authorities to describe the incident as an attempted “terrorist” attack.
Passengers overpower co-pilot after pilot stabbed on Dubai-Tel Aviv flight
During the Flydubai flight, the plane’s Indian captain was assaulted by his co-pilot but he managed to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers and crew to overpower the attacker and force an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the suspect had undergone “Islamist radical indoctrination” and had attempted to crash the plane.
The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday that Omani authorities had banned the pilot from flying over concerns he had adopted radical ideological views.
CNN, citing two sources familiar with the matter, reported the pilot was removed from a job at Oman’s national airline last year over concerns about extremist views.
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