Flydubai Co-Pilot Accused of Terrorist Axe Attack, Had Extremist Views

The United Arab Emirates' prosecutor general has revealed that the co-pilot of a flydubai flight en route to Israel allegedly used a crash axe in an attempted "terrorist attack" during the flight. The incident involved flydubai flight FZ1073, which experienced a drastic altitude drop of over 17,000 feet before passengers and crew managed to subdue the co-pilot and regain control of the aircraft.

Officials reported that the co-pilot's actions put the 182 individuals on board at severe risk of a crash. The captain, Smit Machchhar, sustained injuries but successfully opened the cockpit door, enabling others to overpower the assailant. Reports suggest the co-pilot had previously been barred from flying by Oman due to extremist views, prompting scrutiny of pilot vetting and security measures.