The co‑pilot of a Flydubai aircraft bound for Israel struck the captain with a crash axe in an attempt to seize control of the plane, the United Arab Emirates prosecutor general said.
The Dubai‑to‑Tel Aviv flight, carrying over 170 passengers, descended more than 17,000 feet (about 5,200 meters) roughly two and a half hours after takeoff.
Captain Smit Machchhar recounted that he was lying injured on the cockpit floor when he noticed the aircraft losing altitude and realized he had to act, saying, “I told myself to make one final effort to open the door from inside.”
Passengers were able to enter the cockpit and subdue the assailant, while off‑duty crew members traveling on the flight assisted in landing the aircraft safely.
A crash axe is normally stowed in the cockpit for emergency use.
The UAE attorney general informed state media that investigations continue to establish the full circumstances and motives behind the incident.
The co‑pilot who carried out the attack is an Omani national, according to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Netanyahu told Fox News on Thursday that, after being restrained, the attacker shouted to the crew, “Kill me, kill me!”
He added, “It is evident that he was suicidal; it appears highly probable that he intended to bring the aircraft down.”
He also said the attacker “had undergone Islamist radical indoctrination.”
The UAE has commenced an inquiry into whether the “incident was linked to any terrorist activity or purpose,” the country’s state news agency reported.
Machchhar, who sustained stab wounds during the assault, was taken to a local hospital before being air‑lifted to Abu Dhabi, where he is reported to be in stable condition.
The Indian embassy in the UAE said on Thursday that he was “in good health and recovering well.”
The pilot added, “I am confident that I will make a full recovery and return to good health.”