UAE Attorney General Hamad Saif Al Shamsi announced on Saturday that a Flydubai co-pilot "attempted to commit a terrorist act" on flight FZ1073 earlier this week, attacking the captain with an emergency axe in the cockpit and attempting to take control of the aircraft's flight systems. An investigation is currently underway to ascertain all circumstances, motives, and connections related to the incident, and to complete technical inspections and the review of physical and digital evidence. The emergency axe is a tool kept in the cockpit for cutting through the aircraft in emergency situations.