Flydubai Flight Diverts After Cockpit Attack Allegation

A Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, on September 30 after a cockpit confrontation in which the United Arab Emirates prosecutor general alleges the copilot attacked the captain with a crash axe and tried to take control of the aircraft. Passengers, crew members and two reserve Flydubai pilots helped secure the plane’s safe landing, according to reports. Authorities have not released final investigative findings or established a motive. The prosecutor general, Hamad Saif Al Shamsi, described the alleged assault as an attempted terrorist attack. That characterization is the UAE official’s account; it is not a published finding about the suspect’s motive or whether anyone else was involved. Investigators are examining the incident’s circumstances, possible connections and physical and digital evidence, the prosecutor general said. The flight’s captain, Smit Machchhar, was injured. His family said he suffered wounds to his head and hands and was receiving treatment at a military hospital.