Flydubai co-pilot attacked captain with crash axe, UAE official says

The co-pilot of the Flydubai plane travelling to Israel attacked the pilot with a crash axe in an attempt to take control of the aircraft, the United Arab Emirates prosecutor general has said. The flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv carrying more than 170 people plunged more than 17,000ft (5,200m) two and a half hours into its journey. Passengers aboard the aircraft were able to overpower the attacker, while on-duty crew travelling on the flight entered the cockpit and landed the plan safely. Capt Smit Machchhar, who was stabbed in the attack, was taken to a nearby hospital before being airlifted to Abu Dhabi, where he is reported to be in a stable condition. A crash axe is usually kept ​in the cockpit to be used during emergencies such as crashes.