UAE prosecutors say FlyDubai co-pilot intended to steer plane into Tel Aviv terminal — CBC
The United Arab Emirates prosecution said that the FlyDubai co-pilot who attacked the captain of a Dubai—Tel Aviv flight on September 30 intended to seize control of the aircraft and steer it into the passenger terminal of Israel’s main international airport. CBC World reports, citing a statement by the UAE prosecutor distributed by the state-run WAM agency.
UAE prosecution’s account
According to the prosecution, the Omani national acted with the intention of causing as many casualties as possible. There were 174 passengers on board, most of whom were from Israel.
The statement said that the co-pilot was inspired by the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States. The prosecution claims that he flew the Dubai—Tel Aviv route twice to familiarize himself with the route and the airport.
The prosecution also said that the suspect admitted he had acted alone, without other individuals involved, and, in the presence of a lawyer, gave a detailed confession regarding the motives, planning and execution of the attack. The statement also suggested that he may have become radicalized at a mosque in Australia while studying at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in 2017.
More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.
Attack in the cockpit and emergency landing
The incident occurred in the airspace over Jordan and Saudi Arabia. The co-pilot, whom Associated Press identified as 29-year-old Hammam al-Hammami, attacked Captain Smith Macchar in the cockpit using an emergency axe.
The injured captain managed to open the cockpit door, alerting passengers and crew to the attack. Passengers detained the co-pilot and helped stabilize the aircraft, which lost approximately 14,000 to 16,000 feet of altitude in less than a minute. Two reserve pilots made an emergency landing at Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia.
According to the UAE prosecution’s statement, FlyDubai’s security and professional suitability checks did not reveal extremist views or plans for an attack in the pilot.
