TEL AVIV, Israel — An ongoing investigation into last week’s midair attack on a FlyDubai plane has found that the co-pilot who tried to take control of the flight intended to crash it into Israel’s Ben Gurion International Airport, a person familiar with the matter but not authorized to speak publicly told NPR.
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The plane was flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv and was intending to land at Ben Gurion midmorning on a busy weekday. The co-pilot attacked the plane’s captain midflight with an axe and attempted to take control of the plane.
Middle East
Emirati investigators say FlyDubai co-pilot used crash axe in attempted terrorist attack
It is believed that the co-pilot likely acted alone, the source said.
Authorities in the United Arab Emirates — which is leading the main investigation into the incident, with help from Israeli officials — and in Israel have deemed the attack an attempted terrorist attack, although the motive is still being investigated.
The commercial flight had 172 people on board, according to the airline, the majority of whom were Israeli. All passengers and crew were safe and accounted for after the plane made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia. They were flown to Tel Aviv late Wednesday.
Investigators said that the co-pilot carried out the attack with what’s called a crash axe — a lightweight emergency tool stored in the cockpit to break through panels or jammed doors in the event of a crash.
The aviation tracking site Flightradar24 said data shows at one point the plane descended more than 14,000 feet, or nearly 3 miles, in under 30 seconds — way faster than normal.
The pilot was able to open the cockpit door during the attack, and passengers rushed in and subdued the attacker, while another pilot who happened to be on board helped land the plane, according to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who spoke to the injured pilot as he was recovering in the hospital.
Both the pilot and the co-pilot are alive and have been transferred to the UAE for questioning.
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The co-pilot is from Oman, according to Israeli officials. Omani and Emirati officials have not confirmed that publicly.
The detail of his nationality is raising questions in Israel about how he was allowed to fly a plane heading to Ben Gurion, as Israel does not allow pilots from countries it doesn’t have diplomatic relations with to fly in its airspace. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Fox & Friends that Israel checks the background of pilots flying routes into the country, and that the attacker must have gotten through a “loophole.”
Officials from Israel’s Ministry of Transportation and security services have traded accusations over the lack of oversight and vetting of the pilot. Meanwhile, several of Netanyahu’s political opponents have said the security breach is a failure on the prime minister’s part and have called for a larger investigation.
Netanyahu announced late Sunday that there will be a formal examination into the security situation around “foreign civil aviation into Israel,” but did not provide further details.
National elections in Israel — which will determine whether or not Netanyahu will remain prime minister — are just weeks away. It’s the first such national election since the Hamas-led attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, which sparked the war in Gaza.
Polls in Israel show that the race is tight, and analysts say the FlyDubai attack would likely not change Israelis’ attitudes on how they will vote.
Netanyahu has been campaigning largely on the idea that he alone can protect Israelis from the external threats that Israel faces, while his opponents have pointed to what they see as major security failures under his leadership — including the Oct. 7 attack.
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