Investigators say the co-pilot attacked the captain and tried to seize the controls before the Israel-bound flight was brought under control.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The United Arab Emirates has described a violent cockpit attack aboard a Flydubai flight bound for Israel as an attempted terrorist act, saying the co-pilot attacked the captain with a crash axe and tried to take control of the aircraft.
The statement by UAE Attorney-General Hamad Saif Al Shamsi marked the clearest official characterization yet of the Sept. 30 emergency aboard Flight FZ1073. Emirati investigators said they are still working to determine the full circumstances, motive and any possible connections behind the incident. Authorities also are examining physical and digital evidence, and the UAE has said final findings will be released after the investigation is completed.
The flight was traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv when the confrontation erupted in the cockpit. The aircraft entered a rapid descent before passengers and crew members helped subdue the co-pilot and others aboard helped regain control. A reserve Flydubai pilot who was traveling on the flight later took control of the aircraft and landed it safely in Tabuk, in northwestern Saudi Arabia.
The captain, identified as Smit Machchhar, an Indian national, was seriously injured in the attack. Accounts released after the incident said he was able to unlock the cockpit door despite his injuries, allowing others aboard to enter and intervene. The passengers were later transported onward after the emergency landing. Most of those aboard were Israeli nationals.
Flydubai initially described what happened as an inflight incident and later said there had been a conflict in the cockpit. The Dubai-based airline said its crew was able to regain control and divert safely to Tabuk. It has said the circumstances remain under official investigation and that it is cooperating with authorities.
The co-pilot was detained after the landing in Saudi Arabia and transferred to Abu Dhabi the following day. Reuters and other news organizations have identified him through sources as an Omani national, but UAE authorities and Flydubai had not publicly confirmed his name as of Sunday. Emirati officials also had not announced formal criminal charges.
The UAE prosecutor’s statement said the investigation found that the co-pilot began carrying out a plan during the flight, attacked the captain and tried to control the aircraft. Investigators have not publicly established why he acted or whether anyone else was involved. The distinction is significant because earlier statements from Israeli officials had described the episode as an apparent attempt to crash the plane while the Emirati investigation was still determining the motive.
Authorities in several countries are examining aspects of the case. Australian federal police said Sunday that a joint counterterrorism team was investigating the co-pilot’s links to Australia after sources said he had studied there. Israeli investigators also are expected to take part in the broader UAE-led inquiry. Officials have not announced evidence establishing that the co-pilot acted on behalf of an organized militant group.
The incident has also raised questions about how the co-pilot was assigned to an Israel-bound flight. Israel does not have diplomatic relations with Oman, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said pilots who are citizens of countries without diplomatic relations with Israel are not supposed to operate flights there. Authorities have not publicly explained how the assignment occurred.
The investigation remains active in the UAE, with officials examining the suspect’s background, possible motive and physical and digital evidence. Emirati prosecutors have said the full findings will be announced after the necessary investigative procedures are completed.
Author note: Last updated October 4, 2026.