Prosecutor General Details Cockpit Attack
The United Arab Emirates prosecutor general has disclosed that a FlyDubai co-pilot attacked the pilot with a crash ax and attempted to take control of the cockpit in what authorities have classified as an attempted terrorist attack. Prosecutor General Hamad Saif Al Shamsi identified the co-pilot as Hamam al-Hammami, an Omani national, and said he used the emergency crash ax, which is normally kept in the cockpit, to stab pilot Smit Machchhar.[S1]
Authorities in the United Arab Emirates, who are heading up the probe, have classified the episode as an attempted act of terrorism. According to officials, a 29-year-old man from Oman sought to seize control of the aircraft, a flight headed to Israel on September 30. The plane dropped roughly 18,000 feet before travelers overpowered al-Hammami and regained command of the aircraft.[S1]
