Terrorist attack aboard FlyDubai aircraft: co-pilot attacked pilot with axe
The UAE prosecutor's office confirmed that Wednesday's incident on the Dubai–Tel Aviv route was a terrorist attack. The co-pilot, identified as an Omani national, attacked the pilot with an emergency axe.
UAE prosecutor confirms terrorist attack aboard flight FZ1073
The prosecutor's office in the United Arab Emirates confirmed on Saturday that the incident that occurred on Wednesday aboard FlyDubai's flight FZ1073, on the Dubai–Tel Aviv route, constituted a "terrorist attack", according to G4Media, citing the WAM, EFE and Reuters agencies, as relayed by Agerpres.
The co-pilot attacked the pilot inside the flight deck using an "emergency axe", with the intention of taking control of the aircraft and committing a terrorist act, according to statements from the Emirati prosecutor's office.
An emergency axe — known in English as a crash axe — is a lightweight instrument designed specifically to be kept in the flight deck of medium and large aircraft. Flight crew can use it to cut evacuation routes through the fuselage or through the cabin panels in the event of an aviation accident.
The public prosecutor of the UAE, Hamad Saif al Shamsi, announced that investigations are ongoing, aimed at establishing the circumstances of the incident, the motives, any possible connections, as well as examining physical and digital evidence.
A source with direct knowledge of the case, cited by Reuters, identified the co-pilot as Hammam al-Hammami, an Omani national.
Source: G4Media