Flydubai co-pilot likely acted alone, officials say as UAE inquiry continues
Officials say early evidence points to the Flydubai co-pilot acting alone, while UAE investigators examine motive, planning and possible links.
By Frankie Delgado · News Reporter
3 min read
Early evidence suggests the Flydubai co-pilot acted alone when he allegedly attacked the captain of an Israel-bound flight, according to U.S. officials briefed on the case and a former Israeli security official cited by NBC News. The assessment is preliminary, and the UAE-led investigation has not reached a final conclusion.
The incident happened Sept. 30 aboard Flydubai Flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv. Emirati authorities said the co-pilot attacked the captain with a crash axe and tried to take control of the aircraft's flight controls in what they described as an attempted terrorist attack.
Did the Flydubai co-pilot act alone?
Multiple U.S. officials told NBC News that early indications point to the co-pilot acting independently, rather than for an organization or foreign government. Shalom Ben Hanan, a former official in Israel's Shin Bet domestic security agency, gave a similar assessment but said investigators still needed to determine whether any organization or state had a role.
Reuters also reported that two Israeli security officials had reached an initial view that the co-pilot likely acted alone. They cautioned that the inquiry was continuing.
Investigators had not identified Iranian involvement at that stage, Reuters reported. But possible organizational or state links have not been definitively ruled out.
What are investigators still trying to determine?
UAE Attorney General Hamad Saif Al Shamsi said investigators were working to establish the full circumstances, motive and any links connected to the attack, NBC News reported. The UAE's investigation is also examining whether it was connected to terrorist activity, prior planning or direction, according to Reuters.
Israeli investigators were expected to participate with Emirati authorities in the UAE-led inquiry, an Israeli government official told Reuters. The co-pilot was transferred from Saudi Arabia to the UAE on Oct. 1, Reuters reported.
No motive has been publicly established. Flydubai's chief executive, Ghaith Al Ghaith, said authorities were conducting the official investigation and that it should be allowed to establish the facts, Reuters reported.
What happened to Flight FZ1073?
The flight was carrying 174 mostly Israeli passengers, according to NBC News. Crew members and passengers entered the cockpit and subdued the co-pilot, eyewitnesses and Israeli officials said.
The aircraft diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. A reserve Flydubai crew aboard took control and landed the plane safely, a Flydubai spokesperson told Reuters.
Flight-tracking data cited by Reuters showed the aircraft dropped more than 14,000 feet in about 30 seconds during the incident. The captain and co-pilot were later treated for injuries, Saudi Arabia said.
NBC News identified the suspect as Omani citizen Hamam al-Hammami, citing sources from three agencies and a Middle East diplomat. Authorities have not publicly released the co-pilot's identity.
This story draws on original reporting from NBC News.