Flydubai co-pilot attacked captain with axe, UAE official says

On a Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv, the co-pilot attacked the captain with a crash axe, attempting to seize control of the aircraft, the UAE prosecutor general has revealed. The Boeing jet, carrying over 170 passengers, plummeted more than 17,000 feet into the sky approximately two and a half hours into its journey. Pilot Smit Machchhar found himself injured on the cockpit floor when he realized the plane was descending and knew he had to act.

He managed to open the cockpit door from within, allowing passengers to enter and overpower the attacker. Upon landing the plane safely, on-duty crew members managed to subdue the assailant. The attacker, an Omani national, called out for the crew to "kill me, kill me!" before the incident. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the attacker had been subject to Islamist radical indoctrination, suggesting he was suicidal and intended to crash the plane.

The UAE is investigating whether the incident was linked to any terrorist activity. Pilot Machchhar, who was stabbed during the attack, is reportedly in a stable condition and recovering well.