UAE Attorney-General says the FZ1073 co-pilot "attempted to carry out a terrorist act" with a crash axe
Hamad Saif Al ShamsiAttorney-General of the United Arab Emirates, in an update on the investigation carried by the state news agency WAM
In an October 3, 2026 update on the investigation, the UAE Attorney-General, Hamad Saif Al Shamsi, said investigations had revealed that the co-pilot of flydubai flight FZ1073 attempted to carry out a terrorist act. He said the co-pilot began executing his plan during the flight, attacked the captain inside the flight deck with a crash axe and tried to take control of the aircraft's flight controls. He said investigations into the full circumstances, motives and any links were continuing and that final results would be announced when the procedures are complete.
“Investigations into the incident aboard Flydubai flight FZ1073 revealed that the co-pilot attempted to carry out a terrorist act”
Official statement
Reporting
Where this statement fits
Did a flydubai pilot try to crash Israel-bound flight FZ1073?
On September 30, 2026, flydubai flight FZ1073, a Boeing 737 MAX 8 flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv, dropped sharply in altitude en route, transmitted emergency transponder codes and landed at Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. flydubai said an altercation occurred in the flight deck, and the Tabuk airport said both pilots were taken to hospital. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said one pilot stabbed the other and "apparently tried to crash the plane with everyone on board," and Defense Minister Israel Katz called the incident "an attempted jihadist terrorist attack." flydubai said the reasons and motives were unknown and subject to a formal investigation. The UAE General Civil Aviation Authority and Saudi Arabia's National Transport Safety Center opened investigations. On October 3, the UAE Attorney-General, Hamad Saif Al Shamsi, said investigations had revealed that the co-pilot attempted to carry out a terrorist act, attacking the captain with a crash axe and trying to take control of the aircraft's flight controls, and that motives and any links were still under investigation. As of October 4, 2026, we did not locate a public report that anyone had been charged. The disputed claim is whether a pilot deliberately tried to crash the aircraft.
Source and context
Official statement
About this source
The UAE state news agency's report of the Attorney-General's October 3 update on the investigation, as republished on the UAE Barq news portal. It says the co-pilot attacked the captain with a crash axe and tried to take control of the aircraft, that investigations into the full circumstances, motives and any links are continuing, and that final results will be announced when the procedures are complete.
Reporting
About this source
NBC News quotes the UAE Attorney-General's October 3 update directly. It reports, citing sources briefed on the investigation, the suspect's name and Omani citizenship, and notes that authorities had not officially released his identity. It also reports that Saudi Arabia's Interior Ministry said he was transferred to Abu Dhabi on October 1.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
The UAE Attorney-General had ordered the formation of an investigation team on September 30. Before this update, the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority said only that the incident had been brought under control and that its teams were working to establish the circumstances.
After the quotation
He continued, "The co-pilot began executing his plan during the flight, attacking the captain inside the flight deck using a crash axe and attempting to take control of the aircraft's flight controls," and said investigations were ongoing to "establish the full circumstances, motives, and any links related to the incident."
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The case asks whether a pilot deliberately tried to crash FZ1073. The UAE, which leads the investigation, says through its Attorney-General that the co-pilot attempted a terrorist act, attacked the captain and tried to seize the flight controls, which affirms that the co-pilot acted deliberately against the flight. We labeled it Condemned, the label this case uses for speakers who assert the attempt. The closest competing label is Mixed or conditional, because he says motives and links are still under investigation, but that reservation concerns why he acted, not whether he did.
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The Dispute Index. "UAE Attorney-General says the FZ1073 co-pilot "attempted to carry out a terrorist act" with a crash axe". First published: 2026-10-04. Last updated: 2026-10-04. https://disputeindex.com/events/4529-in-an-october-3-2026-update-on-the