Dubai, October 5 – United Arab Emirates investigators said the co-pilot of flydubai flight FZ1073 attempted a terrorist attack by striking the captain with a crash axe in the cockpit. Bound for Israel, the aircraft carried more than 170 passengers and crew, most of them Israeli nationals. Prosecutor General Hamad Saif Al Shamsi said the co-pilot tried to seize control.
Passengers and crew subdued the attacker on Wednesday. A reserve flydubai pilot landed the aircraft at Tabuk airport in northwestern Saudi Arabia, where authorities detained the co-pilot before transfer to Abu Dhabi. Flight-tracking data showed the plane dropped about 16,625 feet in just over 30 seconds over Saudi Arabia.
Sources identified the co-pilot as Hammam al-Hammami, an Omani national. Emirati authorities have not confirmed the name. Royal Air Maroc said he finished three months of training in 2025, then had his job application rejected. Flydubai chief executive Ghaith al Ghaith called it a safety incident in the cockpit and declined further comment during the inquiry.
The UAE leads the investigation into flight FZ1073 and the suspect’s motives. Israeli investigators are expected to join Emirati authorities. Officials said the axe attack appeared intended to crash the aircraft. Findings will be released once procedures are completed.