Prosecutor: Flydubai co-pilot attacked pilot with axe in terror attack
The UAE's top prosecutor has described the attack aboard the Flydubai aircraft as an attempted terror attack. The Indian pilot describes a desperate struggle to maintain control.
Flydubai co-pilot charged with attempted terror attack using cockpit axe
The co-pilot of a Flydubai aircraft flying from Dubai to Israel attempted to carry out a terror attack, declared the United Arab Emirates' top prosecutor on Saturday. This emerges from the state news agency WAM, as cited by Reuters – and reported further by B.T.
According to the prosecutor, the co-pilot attacked the captain inside the cockpit with an emergency axe during the flight on Wednesday. The aircraft plummeted thousands of metres in a very short time. The investigation into the incident is ongoing.
Two anonymous sources with knowledge of the case told CNN that the suspect co-pilot is Hamam al-Hammami from Oman. Reuters cites a separate anonymous source with direct knowledge of the matter with the same information.
The Indian pilot, Smit Machchhar, who was the victim of the attack, came forward with his first public statements on Friday. From his hospital bed, he described in a video call how he fought for control of the aircraft.
"I was so badly wounded that I had collapsed. I could feel the aircraft was going down. I knew I had to push one more time to get the door open," said Machchhar in the call.
Machchhar spoke during the call with India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
"Even here I was hit, but I opened the door, and everyone came in," the pilot continued.
The airline and authorities have not yet released further details about the course of events.
Source: B.T.