The United Arab Emirates (UAE) Attorney General has said the co-pilot of a flydubai flight bound for Israel attempted to carry out a “terrorist act” by attacking the captain with an emergency axe.
The UAE state news agency WAM reported on Saturday that Attorney General Hamad Saif Al Shamsi disclosed the findings from the initial investigation into Wednesday’s incident.
According to Al Shamsi, the co-pilot attacked the captain inside the cockpit and attempted to take control of the aircraft.
“The co-pilot had attempted to carry out a terrorist act” and had “attacked the captain in the cockpit with the emergency axe and tried to take control of the aircraft,” WAM quoted him as saying.
The flight, travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv, was diverted after the confrontation, which occurred while the aircraft was flying over Jordan.
Passenger recounts frightening ordeal
Passenger Miryam Shira Ohayon told reporters that the aircraft was “pretty much out of control” when the attack occurred.
Ohayon alleged that the co-pilot attempted to kill the captain and crash the aircraft, describing the incident as a possible suicide attack.
“The co-pilot tried to murder the pilot and basically carry out a suicide attack on the plane,” she said.
She said passengers intervened and managed to restrain the co-pilot, while a doctor provided first aid to those involved.
“Other than the pilot, there were no injuries,” Ohayon said, adding that the passengers’ main fear was that the aircraft would crash.
Flight diverted to Saudi Arabia
Ohayon’s mother, Yasmin Abukasis, said her daughter had been travelling to Israel to attend a service for her brother, who was killed in the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack.
Abukasis said her daughter believed the passengers were going to die and recalled that one woman who entered the cockpit saw “a lot of blood”.
She said two other pilots were aboard the aircraft and eventually took control before diverting the flight to Saudi Arabia.
The UAE authorities said investigations into the incident are continuing.
