ABU DHABI,— The United Arab Emirates prosecutor general said Saturday that the co-pilot of flydubai flight FZ1073 tried to launch a “terrorist” attack during the flight, according to the UAE state news agency WAM.
The co-pilot has been named as Hammam al-Hammami, an Omani national, a source with direct knowledge told Reuters.
In the cockpit, the co-pilot struck the pilot with a crash axe and tried to seize control of the aircraft, the prosecutor general said.
Crash axes are usually kept in the cockpit for use during emergencies, such as crashes.
The probe continues into the circumstances of the incident, the motives and any related connections, and the examination of physical and digital evidence, he added.
Hamad Saif Al Shamsi, the UAE prosecutor general, made the first comments by Emirati authorities to describe the incident as an attempted “terrorist” attack.
Passengers and crew overpowered the co-pilot on Wednesday, averting disaster after he attacked the captain.
Israeli officials said the attack was an apparent attempt to crash the plane, which had more than 170 passengers and crew on board.
A reserve flydubai pilot who was on the flight took the controls and landed the plane at Tabuk airport in northwestern Saudi Arabia. Saudi authorities then detained the co-pilot there.
Flydubai said the circumstances remain under investigation and that it was not in a position to comment further, a spokesperson said.
An Israeli government official told Reuters earlier that Israeli investigators will join Emirati authorities in the UAE-led investigation.
The inquiry will look into what happened, the suspect’s motives and his background.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Friday that Israel is checking whether the co-pilot acted under anyone’s direction. He warned that anyone involved would pay a heavy price.
Netanyahu said Thursday that the co-pilot, an Omani national he identified, had undergone radical Islamist indoctrination and appeared suicidal. He said a motive had not yet been established.
Most passengers on board were Israeli nationals.
The aircraft dropped about 16,625 feet in just over 30 seconds while flying over Saudi Arabia on its journey from the UAE to Israel, according to Flightradar24 flight-tracking data. The route is popular with Israeli travelers.
(With files from Reuters)
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