UAE Investigates Flydubai Cockpit Axe Attack

The United Arab Emirates’ federal prosecutor says the copilot of Flydubai Flight FZ1073 attacked the captain with a cockpit crash axe and tried to seize the aircraft’s controls during a September 30 flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv. The prosecutor characterized the alleged act as terrorism; investigators have not announced a motive or final findings. The plane was brought under control after passengers and crew intervened, and it made an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, according to accounts of the incident. The captain, Smit Machchhar, was seriously injured, reports say. The prosecutor’s account, carried by the state news agency, described the assault and attempted seizure of the controls. Multiple reports repeat that official account, rather than providing independent confirmation of what happened inside the cockpit. Authorities are examining the circumstances, possible motives and any related connections, and are analyzing physical and digital evidence, the prosecutor said. The investigation is also addressing whether the incident involved prior planning or direction. No timetable for its completion or final investigative conclusions has been announced.