Flydubai Co-Pilot Attacked Pilot With Axe in Attempted 'Terrorist' Hijacking, UAE Says

A co-pilot on a flydubai flight attacked the pilot inside the cockpit with a crash axe and attempted to take control of the aircraft, the United Arab Emirates prosecutor general said, according to CNBC.

The UAE's top prosecutor characterized the incident as an attempted terrorist attack, one of the more serious classifications issued in connection with an in-flight assault of this kind.

Authorities have not detailed, in the information available, the co-pilot's exact motive or the sequence of events that allowed him access to the emergency axe typically stored in the cockpit for safety purposes.

The attack adds to a series of reports from multiple international outlets describing the same flydubai flight, with the pilot ultimately retaining control of the aircraft after being attacked, and the co-pilot reportedly restrained, according to earlier accounts of the incident.

Flydubai and UAE aviation authorities have not issued, in the reporting available, a full account of the co-pilot's background or employment history ahead of the flight.