UAE prosecutor general says flydubai co-pilot 'attempted terrorist attack'

The UAE prosecutor general said Flydubai co-pilot Hamam al-Hammami, an Omani national, used an emergency crash axe to attack Captain Smit Machchhar aboard Flight 1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv on Wednesday in what authorities characterized as an attempted terrorist attack. The aircraft carrying over 170 people descended 17,000 feet during the two-and-a-half-hour flight before passengers subdued the co-pilot. Al-Hammami, who studied aviation management at a British university, allegedly attempted to take control of the aircraft during the assault.