UAE prosecutors confirm terrorist intent in Flydubai cockpit attack

The United Arab Emirates' attorney general said on Saturday, 3 October, that the first officer of a Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv had terrorist intent. That confirms earlier statements from Israeli officials. According to the prosecutor's statement, the co-pilot attacked and injured the captain with a crash axe during the flight on 30 September.

The statement said the first officer tried to take control of the Boeing 737 Max 8 during the attack. Passengers and crew members intervened, overpowered him and stabilised the aircraft, registration A6-FKF.

The co-pilot is an Omani national, according to the Wall Street Journal. The newspaper also reported that he had become increasingly radicalised and had been barred from the cockpit by a previous employer for that reason.

Crash axes are standard equipment on commercial aircraft. Under European Union Aviation Safety Agency rules, aircraft with more than nine seats must carry one, stowed in the cockpit. The tool is made from high-strength alloys and is insulated against electric shock. On an Airbus A320 it is kept in a console behind the right seat. Aircraft with more than 200 seats must carry a second axe, hung near the rear galleys. The axe was originally intended to allow crews to get out of the cockpit quickly after a crash. Today it is used mainly to reach fires that can start behind panels.