Omani co-pilot of Flydubai flight handed to UAE after Saudi probe

Omani co-pilot of Flydubai flight to be handed to UAE after preliminary probe in Saudi Arabia

The Omani co-pilot accused of attacking the captain of a Flydubai flight and attempting to take control of the aircraft has been handed over by Saudi Arabia to the United Arab Emirates, as investigators examine whether the incident was a deliberate attempt to bring down the Israel-bound plane. Saudi authorities had been conducting the preliminary probe after the aircraft made an emergency landing in Tabuk.

Investigators examine possible motives

The UAE has now taken over the investigation, with Israeli authorities also involved. The Emirati government said its team was examining the attack and “whether it was linked to any terrorist purpose”. The UAE has jurisdiction because the aircraft is registered there and its laws apply to crimes committed on board. A regional official said several possibilities remained under investigation, including terrorism and mental disorders. “All possible scenarios, from terrorism to mental disorders, are being looked into. Nothing is ruled out for now,” the official said. The co-pilot has not been publicly identified. Israeli officials are also taking part in the investigation, while Israel has requested that he be sent there for questioning, although it remains unclear whether that request will be granted.

Israel says co-pilot appeared suicidal

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the initial investigation suggested the co-pilot had undergone Islamist indoctrination and may have been trying to crash the aircraft. “The attacker, the co-pilot who attacked the captain, is now being interrogated. What we know so far is that he underwent Islamist radical indoctrination,” Netanyahu told Fox News. Netanyahu also described the struggle inside the cockpit, saying the co-pilot repeatedly called on crew members to kill him. “They had to use earphone cords to tie his hands and then used plastic cuffs. He is lying on the floor and he calls out to the crew 'kill me, kill me'. So, it is clear that he was suicidal and was going to down the plane,” he said. An Israeli official separately told The Times of Israel that social media material attributed to the co-pilot included posts about killing Jewish people. The official said the material indicated that he had been radicalised into jihadist ideology, while stressing that the formal investigation was still under way. “Our understanding is he’s going to be transferred to the UAE,” the official said. “We will be part of that investigation.”

US raises possible Iran link

US President Donald Trump also raised the possibility of an Iranian connection, although he did not provide evidence and said the investigation was still under way. Asked whether he had been briefed about links between the co-pilot and Tehran, Trump said, “We’re working on it right now.” “I would say the answer, based on what I’m hearing, is yes, but we’re working on it right now,” he said. Trump did not elaborate on the basis for the possible link. When asked whether the US would retaliate against Iran if Tehran was behind the incident, he said, “Oh they’ll be hit, very hard, don’t worry.” Netanyahu, however, said it was too early to establish Iranian involvement.

What happened aboard Flydubai flight

The incident took place on Flydubai flight FZ1073, which was flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv with 182 people on board, mostly Israelis. The co-pilot attacked Captain Smit Machchhar, stabbing him and attempting to take control of the aircraft. Despite his injuries, Machchhar managed to unlock the cockpit door, allowing passengers and crew members to enter and restrain the co-pilot. The aircraft had plunged from about 33,000 feet to 17,000 feet in roughly a minute before making an erratic turn near the Jordanian border and diverting to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. The captain was later taken to Abu Dhabi for further treatment and was reported to be out of danger. Passengers who entered the cockpit helped stabilise the aircraft after the descent, while distress codes were also transmitted from the cockpit during the incident.

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