The co-pilot of a Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv used a crash axe and attempted to seize control of the aircraft in what the United Arab Emirates is treating as a terrorist attack, the country's prosecutor general said.
The statement, carried by a state news agency, said the co-pilot tried to take over the plane during the flight on Wednesday. Passengers and crew intervened to subdue him and stabilise the aircraft, which was carrying 182 people.
Officials said the co-pilot's actions nearly caused the plane to crash by sending it into a sharp plunge. The flight, FZ1073, was bound for Israel when the incident occurred.
According to the prosecutor general, the co-pilot had been barred from flying by Oman because of extremist views. The suspect has been identified in reports as Hamam al-Hammami, an Omani national born in the UAE to an Omani father and a Syrian mother.
The flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv plunged approximately 13,000 feet in 30 seconds after the pilot lost control of the aircraft, according to accounts of the incident. The rapid descent underscored the severity of the struggle in the cockpit before passengers and crew managed to restrain the co-pilot.
The UAE's decision to characterise the episode as a terrorist attack raises the stakes for an incident that has drawn international attention because of the flight's destination and the suspect's background. The statement from the prosecutor general is the most detailed official account so far of what happened aboard the aircraft.
Investigators have not publicly outlined a motive beyond the assertion that the co-pilot held extremist views. The claim that Oman had previously barred him from flying suggests authorities in the region had concerns about him before the flight.
The intervention by passengers and crew is credited with preventing a worse outcome. Their actions allowed the plane to be stabilised after the sudden plunge, and the flight did not crash.
The incident has focused attention on aviation security and on how individuals with known extremist links can gain access to commercial cockpits. It has also highlighted the cooperation between regional authorities, given that the suspect's flying status had reportedly been restricted by Oman.
Flydubai has not issued a detailed public response to the prosecutor general's account. The airline operates the route between Dubai and Tel Aviv, a connection that has become increasingly significant in regional travel.
The UAE's public attribution of the attack to a co-pilot marks a rare official acknowledgment of an attempted terrorist act on a commercial flight in the region. The case is expected to remain under investigation as authorities piece together the sequence of events and the suspect's background.