Copilot had earlier been barred from flying by Oman Air

New details are emerging about the co-pilot accused of attacking the captain with an axe and trying to seize control of an Israel-bound flight. UAE investigators describe the Sept. 30 incident as a terrorist attack. Three sources, including a Middle East official and a Western diplomat, identified the co-pilot as Hamam al-Hammami, speaking anonymously. Authorities say the co-pilot used the cockpit crash axe to attack the captain and then attempted to control the aircraft as it rapidly lost altitude, carrying 182 people. Passengers and others overpowered him. The report also claims he had been stopped from flying for an Omani airline due to concerns about extremist views, later moving to an administrative role. He was later hired by UAE-based flydubai, and security agencies from four countries, with U.S. assistance, are probing possible motives.