Flydubai captain says co-pilot attacked him with axe during flight

The short version

• Flydubai captain Smit Machchhar says the co-pilot attacked him with a crash axe while the flight was in Saudi airspace.[The Guardian]
• The airliner reportedly dropped about 16,000 feet in 30 seconds before two other pilots landed it safely in Saudi Arabia.[The Guardian]
• UAE authorities call the incident an attempted suicide attack and say the plan was inspired by the 9/11 attacks; the suspect is an Omani national transferred to the UAE.[The Guardian]
• Machchhar says he lost consciousness and doubted he would survive, while the attack's motive remains an official allegation.[The Guardian]

Key facts

• Captain Smit Machchhar of flydubai flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv described blocking axe blows to his head and screaming for help during the attack by the co-pilot.[The Guardian]
• The co-pilot attacked Machchhar with a crash axe, an item normally kept in the cockpit for emergencies, while the flight was in Saudi airspace.[The Guardian]
• The airliner plunged about 16,000 feet in roughly 30 seconds before the attacker was overwhelmed.[The Guardian]
• Two other pilots on board landed the aircraft safely in Saudi Arabia.[The Guardian]
• The suspect, an Omani national, was transferred to the UAE, flydubai's home country.[The Guardian]
• The UAE attorney general has said the incident was an attempted suicide attack in which the co-pilot intended to crash the plane into Ben Gurion airport.[The Guardian]
• UAE public prosecutors said their criminal investigation, launched on 1 October, found the plan was inspired by the 11 September 2001 attacks.[The Guardian]

Sources

Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.

• Flydubai captain describes blocking axe blows as co-pilot attacked himThe Guardian - World