UAE probes flydubai cockpit attack after pilot thwarts crash bid
The UAE on Thursday said it has opened an investigation into an incident on board flydubai flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv, which was diverted and landed safely at Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia. In a statement, the Foreign Ministry said it was "closely following" the incident.
The move follows an altercation in the flight deck that forced the aircraft to make an emergency landing on Wednesday. The UAE said its judicial authorities would investigate the case, while Saudi authorities detained the co-pilot and began questioning him after the landing.
According to the report, Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar fought off his co-pilot, who allegedly tried to crash the aircraft. Machchhar was stabbed in the cockpit and seriously injured. The flight was carrying 174 passengers, including 27 children.
UAE Attorney-General Counsellor Hamad Al Shamsi ordered the formation of a team of specialised members of the Public Prosecution to investigate the circumstances and causes of the incident, the ministry said. The development came after flydubai announced that an altercation had taken place in the flight deck, prompting flydubai crew members travelling on board to intervene and secure the aircraft.
The Foreign Ministry said UAE judicial authorities have jurisdiction over the investigation under the applicable law because the aircraft is registered in the UAE and flies its flag. It added that UAE law applies to crimes committed on board the aircraft even when they take place outside UAE territory. Flydubai is an Emirati government-owned airline based in Dubai.
The investigation will examine all circumstances and motives linked to the incident, including any possible connection to terrorist activity or intent, and whether there was any prior planning or direction, the ministry said. The UAE also expressed appreciation to the Saudi authorities for their cooperation and handling of the incident.
The investigation team has started its work in coordination with the General Civil Aviation Authority and other relevant authorities in the UAE, state-run WAM reported. WAM also said Al Shamsi had directed authorities to determine "whether it was linked to any terrorist activity or purpose or involved prior planning or direction".
The Foreign Ministry also stressed the importance of relying on information issued by official sources and avoiding speculation or unreliable reports until the investigation is completed. Authorities said the co-pilot, believed to be an Omani national, had been arrested and was being questioned by Saudi authorities.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it was too early to say who was behind the incident. "It's too early to say, the attacking pilot is .. now being investigated in Saudi Arabia. I think he'll be taken to the Emirates, where he comes from, or at least where he left, where he flew off from, and we'll be following and possibly also participating in this investigation," Netanyahu told Fox News.
Overall, the UAE has launched a formal investigation into the mid-air incident on the flydubai flight after it was diverted to Saudi Arabia, with authorities examining the motives behind the episode and any possible wider links while the co-pilot remains under questioning.
