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The co-pilot of flydubai flight FZ1073 used a crash axe and tried to seize control of the Tel Aviv-bound plane, which plunged over 5,000 metres in 30 seconds before passengers and crew subdued him and a reserve pilot landed in Saudi Arabia.
The co-pilot of flydubai flight FZ1073 attempted to carry out a terrorist attack during a flight from the United Arab Emirates to Israel, the UAE prosecutor general said on Saturday, according to the state news agency WAM.
Cockpit Attack Details
The co-pilot attacked the pilot inside the cockpit with a crash axe and attempted to take control of the aircraft, prosecutor general Hamad Saif Al Shamsi said. A crash axe is typically kept in the cockpit for use during emergencies such as crashes. The co-pilot was identified as Hammam al-Hammami, an Omani national, a source with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters.
While Emirati authorities have not publicly identified the co-pilot, Israeli officials have previously said he is an Omani national. Oman has not commented on the incident. Investigations into the incident involving flydubai flight FZ1073 found that the co-pilot had attempted to carry out a terrorist attack, Al Shamsi said. His comments were the first by Emirati authorities to describe the incident as an attempted terrorist attack.
The aircraft plunged more than 5,000 metres in just over 30 seconds while flying over Saudi Arabia on its journey from the UAE to Israel, according to flight-tracking data from Flightradar24. Disaster was averted on Wednesday after passengers and crew subdued the co-pilot, who had attacked the captain in what Israeli officials said was an apparent attempt to crash the plane carrying more than 170 passengers and crew.
The captain, who was badly wounded, has said he used his remaining energy while being stabbed to unlock the cockpit door. That allowed people who had noticed loud noises to come in, tackle the co-pilot and stabilise the plane. A reserve flydubai pilot travelling on the flight took control of the aircraft and landed it at Tabuk airport in north-western Saudi Arabia, where the co-pilot was detained by Saudi authorities.
UAE-Led Flight Investigation
The aircraft made an emergency landing at Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz international airport in Tabuk, with damage visible to its tail. Both the captain and co-pilot were taken to the UAE as it leads the investigation. Officials have said a number of countries including Israel are participating. An Israeli government official told Reuters earlier that Israeli investigators would take part alongside Emirati authorities in the UAE-led investigation, which would examine what happened as well as the suspect's motives and background.
The co-pilot had been barred from flying by Oman over concerns he had adopted extremist views, a person familiar with the matter said. He was then hired by the UAE-based airline flydubai, the person said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing investigation. It was not immediately clear to what extent he was vetted when he was hired in the Emirates. Oman's move to bar the co-pilot from flying 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. The co-pilot was born in the UAE and his mother is Syrian, according to a regional official with knowledge of the investigation. Israel says it has agreements with foreign carriers to keep pilots out of its airspace who come from nations with which it does not maintain diplomatic relations. Israel and Oman do not have formal diplomatic relations.
Co-Pilot Background and Radicalization
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 US and other western governments, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss details of the investigation.
UAE senior diplomatic adviser Anwar Gargash on Friday called the attack a dangerous terrorist act. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Friday that Israel was looking into whether the co-pilot had acted under anyone's direction, warning that anyone involved would pay a heavy price. Earlier this week Netanyahu said the co-pilot had undergone radical Islamist indoctrination and appeared suicidal, though he said a motive had not yet been established. Most of the passengers on board were Israeli nationals.
The incident is a test for the UAE 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. A photograph showed one of the people injured in the incident.
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abcnews:This story was compiled and edited by the HeadTopics newsroom and HT AI from the reports above.
Crash Axe Attack UAE Prosecutor General Oman Extremist Views Israel-Bound Flight Emergency Landing Flydubai FZ1073 Hammam Al-Hammami Terrorist Attack Tel Aviv Flight UAE Investigation
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