Attorney-General reveals the co-pilot used an emergency crash axe against the captain to seize control of the Boeing 737
ABU DHABI, 3rd October, 2026 (WAM) — The co-pilot who attacked the captain inside the cockpit of a Tel Aviv-bound flydubai flight earlier this week was attempting to execute a planned terrorist act, the UAE Attorney-General confirmed on Saturday.
Dr. Hamad Saif Al Shamsi said initial findings from the federal probe into flight FZ1073 established that the first officer launched the assault midair, using the cockpit’s emergency crash axe against the aircraft’s captain in an effort to take over the flight controls.
The attack occurred aboard a Boeing 737 flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv. During the struggle inside the flight deck, Captain Smit Machchhar was wounded but managed to unlock the fortified cockpit door, enabling cabin crew and passengers to breach the compartment and subdue the assailant.
The aircraft rapidly lost altitude during the scuffle, descending steeply before relief pilots traveling on board took command and diverted the jet safely to Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Airport in Tabuk, northern Saudi Arabia. More than 170 passengers and crew members were on board.
The Attorney-General stated that comprehensive investigations remain underway to uncover the full circumstances, underlying motives, and whether the perpetrator had operational ties to any extremist networks.
Federal investigators and forensic specialists are continuing to analyze physical, digital, and flight recorder evidence recovered from the airliner. The UAE Public Prosecution confirmed that exhaustive findings will be made public once all judicial and technical procedures conclude.
Under civil aviation safety mandates enforced by the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) and international regulators, commercial jetliners must carry an insulated crash axe inside the flight deck for emergency situations, such as fighting hidden onboard fires or clearing escape paths after an accident. The suspect reportedly turned this mandatory safety equipment into a weapon.
Saudi authorities extradited the suspect to the United Arab Emirates following the safe diversion. Captain Machchhar, who sustained injuries while preventing the co-pilot from seizing the controls, was hospitalized in stable condition and subsequently returned to Dubai. Flydubai noted that it is fully cooperating with judicial and aviation authorities in the ongoing probe.
