The co-pilot of a flydubai Boeing 737 MAX 8 attacked the aircraft’s captain with a crash axe and attempted to take control of the aircraft during what authorities now describe as an attempted terrorist act, the United Arab Emirates said on Saturday.
The statement from UAE Attorney-General Hamad Saif Al Shamsi provides the clearest official account so far of what happened aboardflight FZ1073 on September 30.
According to Al Shamsi, investigators determined that the co-pilot began executing a previously planned action during the flight, attacking the captain inside the flight deck with a crash axe before attempting to take control of the aircraft.
The UAE had initially described the episode only as a security incident involving an altercation in the flight deck. The new findings are the first time Emirati authorities have officially characterized it as an attempted terrorist act.
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The investigation remains open. Authorities are examining the circumstances of the incident, the co-pilot’s motives and any possible connections, as well as physical and digital evidence.
Co-pilot subdued after dramatic descent
Flight FZ1073 was operating from Dubai to Tel Aviv with more than 170 passengers and crew when the incident occurred over Saudi Arabia.
Flight data showed the aircraft making a sharp turn and rapidly losing altitude. During its most dramatic descent, the 737 MAX 8 dropped approximately 16,625 feet in just over 30 seconds before stabilizing.
The wounded captain managed to open the cockpit door, allowing people in the cabin to intervene. Passengers and crew then subdued the co-pilot.
A reserve flydubai pilot travelling aboard the aircraft subsequently took control and diverted to Tabuk in northwestern Saudi Arabia, where the aircraft landed safely.
The co-pilot was detained by Saudi authorities. Both pilots received medical treatment following the incident.
The captain, identified by UAE authorities as Indian national Machchhar Smit, has since returned to the United Arab Emirates. The country’s General Civil Aviation Authority said on Friday that he was in good condition and continued to receive medical treatment.
The GCAA credited the captain, other crew members and passengers with helping bring the situation under control and preventing more serious consequences.
Identity and motive under investigation
Sources familiar with the investigation identified the co-pilot as Hammam al-Hammami, an Omani national. Emirati authorities have not publicly confirmed his identity.
The investigation is now seeking to establish his motive and whether he had connections to other individuals or groups.
Israeli officials had previously described the incident as an apparent attempt to crash the aircraft. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also claimed that the co-pilot had undergone Islamist radicalization.
Those assertions preceded the latest findings from UAE investigators. Emirati authorities have not publicly detailed the suspected motive or said that the specific objective was to crash the aircraft.
The Attorney-General said the final findings will be released after investigators complete technical examinations and their analysis of physical and digital evidence.
Crash axe kept aboard aircraft
The identification of the weapon also clarifies one of the unanswered questions surrounding the incident.
Initial reports described the captain as having been stabbed or attacked with a sharp object. UAE investigators now say the co-pilot used a crash axe, an emergency tool normally kept inside the cockpit.
The weapon therefore did not have to pass through normal airport passenger security screening.
Saudi Arabia conducted the initial investigation after the aircraft landed at Tabuk. UAE authorities subsequently took over the main investigation because the aircraft is registered in the Emirates and operates under the country’s jurisdiction.
The incident has also prompted Israel to review security procedures for pilots operating flights to the country.
Before Saturday’s announcement, the UAE Attorney-General had specifically asked investigators to determine whether the episode involved terrorist activity, prior planning or external direction.
The latest statement establishes that investigators now consider the co-pilot’s actions an attempted terrorist act, but the UAE has not yet disclosed what evidence led to that conclusion or whether investigators have found evidence of outside involvement.
