UAE calls FlyDubai cockpit axe attack a terror attempt
The United Arab Emirates has formally called the attack on FlyDubai Flight FZ1073 an attempted terrorist attack.
UAE Prosecutor General Hamad Saif Al Shamsi said the co-pilot attacked the captain with the cockpit’s emergency crash axe on September 30. The Dubai to Tel Aviv flight was carrying more than 170 people.
The co-pilot tried to seize the controls. The Boeing 737 plunged thousands of feet before passengers and crew subdued him.
Captain Smit Machchhar was badly wounded. He used his remaining strength to unlock the cockpit door, letting others in to restrain the attacker. The plane made an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
The suspect is Hamam al-Hammami, an Omani national. He had previously been removed from flight duties at Oman Air over concerns about extremist views.
The incident is under investigation in the UAE. Machchhar has been hailed as a hero, and Dubai’s Crown Prince visited him in hospital.
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