The United Arab Emirates has opened a specialised criminal investigation into the violent incident aboard Flydubai flight FZ1073, with prosecutors ordered to determine whether the cockpit attack involved terrorist intent, prior planning or instructions from another person or organisation.
UAE Attorney-General Counsellor Dr Hamad Al Shamsi has formed a specialised Public Prosecution team to investigate the September 30 incident aboard the Dubai-to-Tel Aviv flight.
The investigation will examine the circumstances, causes and motive behind the confrontation, the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on October 1.
Crucially, investigators will also examine whether the incident had any connection with terrorist activity or intent and whether it involved prior planning or external direction.
The UAE has not concluded that terrorism was involved. These are among several possibilities investigators have been instructed to examine.
FCRF Launches CP-FRM to Build India’s Next Generation of Fraud Risk Professionals
UAE Investigation Goes Beyond What Happened Inside Cockpit
Flight FZ1073 had departed Dubai International Airport for Israel’s Ben Gururion International Airport when a violent confrontation occurred on the flight deck.
Flydubai has officially confirmed that an altercation took place inside the cockpit and that other Flydubai crew members travelling onboard intervened and secured the aircraft.
The Boeing 737 was diverted to Tabuk in Saudi Arabia, where it landed safely.
All passengers were accounted for.
The airline initially cautioned against speculation about the cause or motive, saying those questions would have to be established through the official investigation.
The UAE’s latest announcement significantly expands the scope of that inquiry.
Investigators will now examine not only the physical confrontation but also the circumstances preceding it.
That could include communications, preparation, relationships and other evidence capable of showing whether the episode developed suddenly or had been planned in advance.
Indian Captain Allegedly Attacked During Flight
Israeli officials and multiple international reports have identified the flight commander as Indian national Captain Smit Machchhar.
The co-pilot, an Omani national, allegedly attacked Machchhar during the flight and attempted to take control of the aircraft.
Israeli officials have said the co-pilot stabbed the captain and attempted to crash the plane. The aircraft subsequently lost close to 14,000 feet of altitude in less than 30 seconds before control was restored.
Flydubai itself has been more cautious in its public statements, confirming a flight-deck altercation but leaving the motive and detailed sequence of events to investigators.
Reuters reported that passengers and crew helped stop the alleged attack before other trained personnel onboard assisted in bringing the aircraft under control.
Machchhar was injured during the confrontation.
The aircraft later landed safely in Tabuk, preventing what officials said could have resulted in catastrophic loss of life.
Terror Connection Remains an Investigative Question, Not a Finding
The possibility of terrorism has received considerable attention following the incident.
However, the UAE government has made an important distinction.
Its October 1 statement does not classify the episode as a terrorist attack.
Instead, prosecutors have been instructed to determine whether there was “any possible connection to terrorist activity or intent” and whether the incident involved prior planning or direction.
That means investigators will need evidence before reaching conclusions about motive.
Questions may include whether the suspect acted alone, whether anybody encouraged or instructed him, whether communications took place before the flight and whether there was evidence of ideological or organisational involvement.
No terrorist organisation has been officially linked to the incident.
Reuters reported on October 1 that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the co-pilot had undergone radical Islamist indoctrination. However, the investigation remains underway and final conclusions about motive have not been announced.
Israeli security agencies are also examining the incident.
UAE Says Its Courts Have Jurisdiction Over Incident
The UAE has also clarified why its judicial authorities can investigate an incident that ended with an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia.
Flight FZ1073 was operating on an aircraft registered in the UAE and flying under the Emirati flag.
According to the UAE Foreign Ministry, Emirati legislation therefore applies to criminal offences committed onboard the aircraft even if the incident occurs outside UAE territory.
This gives UAE prosecutors jurisdiction to investigate the alleged offences.
Saudi authorities have also been involved because the aircraft landed in Tabuk and the suspect came under Saudi control following the emergency landing.
The UAE thanked Saudi Arabia for its cooperation in handling the aircraft and the incident.
Saudi Arabia’s National Transport Safety Centre has separately opened an investigation into the emergency landing.
The investigations may therefore involve separate aviation safety and criminal components.
Investigators Expected to Reconstruct Events Before Flight
The specialised prosecution team is expected to focus heavily on what happened before the aircraft departed Dubai.
Digital evidence could become particularly important.
Investigators may examine communications, devices, travel history and other information capable of establishing whether the confrontation resulted from a spontaneous dispute or something planned earlier.
They may also examine whether there was any communication with people outside the aircraft.
Such checks do not themselves establish that external involvement occurred.
They are necessary because the UAE Attorney-General has explicitly asked prosecutors to examine prior planning and possible direction.
The airline has suspended flights to and from Israel while the official investigation continues.
Flydubai said the suspension was being implemented in coordination with relevant authorities.
Authorities Warn Against Speculation
The UAE Foreign Ministry has urged the media and public to rely on information from official sources while investigators establish the facts.
This warning is especially relevant because dramatically different accounts of the incident appeared in the hours following the emergency landing.
Some early reports described only an altercation between pilots.
Later accounts from Israeli officials alleged an intentional attempt to crash the aircraft.
Details concerning the motive, the alleged attack and events leading up to it therefore remain subject to investigation.
What authorities have now confirmed is that the inquiry will explicitly examine the most serious possibilities: terrorism, premeditation and external direction.
The findings of that investigation will determine whether the incident was an isolated act by an individual or part of a wider planned operation.
What this means for you
The UAE investigation has widened considerably, but there is still no official finding that the Flydubai incident was a terrorist attack. Claims about the motive, outside organisations or prior planning should be treated as allegations until prosecutors complete their investigation.
Follow for daily updates on cybercrime, corporate fraud, DFIR, hacking, investigations, and digital forensics
