The co-pilot of a Flydubai flight traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv attacked the captain with a crash axe, the United Arab Emirates prosecutor general has confirmed. The incident occurred more than two hours into the journey, leading the aircraft carrying over 170 people to drop 17,000 feet.

This revelation clarifies earlier speculation about the weapon used during the mid-air assault. A crash axe is a standard safety tool kept in the cockpit for emergencies. The UAE attorney general stated that investigations are continuing to determine the full circumstances and motivations behind the co-pilot's actions.

Passengers on board eventually managed to overpower the attacker, and two reserve pilots successfully landed the plane in Saudi Arabia. Captain Smit Machchhar, who was injured in the attack, described realizing the plane was descending and feeling compelled to act, managing to open the door to allow passengers to intervene.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu identified the co-pilot as an Omani national and suggested the attacker was motivated by suicidal and potentially terrorist ideologies, stating the co-pilot called out "Kill me, kill me!" after being subdued. He also indicated the attacker had undergone "Islamist radical indoctrination."

According to the UAE's state news agency, the attorney general, Hamad Saif Al Shamsi, described the co-pilot's actions as an attempt to carry out a "terrorist act." The investigation is reportedly focused on establishing the motives and any potential links to extremist groups.

Captain Machchhar, who sustained stab wounds, received immediate medical attention and is reported to be in stable condition. The Indian embassy in the UAE confirmed that the pilot, who is from India, is recovering well. Machchhar expressed confidence in his recovery.

The flight, en route from Dubai International Airport, initially signaled a general emergency code before switching to a code indicating unlawful interference, commonly associated with hijacking. The swift actions of the passengers and reserve pilots averted a potential catastrophe.

The co-pilot had previously reportedly been removed from flight training at another airline due to concerns about his radical views. He had also completed a distance-learning degree in aviation management from Buckinghamshire New University in the UK in 2023, though the university stated he did not undertake pilot training there.