DUBAI, Oct 1: The United Arab Emirates' chief prosecutor on Thursday said an investigation had been launched into the incident on board a flydubai flight to Israel, including the possibility of "terrorist activity or intent".
The state news agency WAM said the attorney general had ordered the probe, adding that "the investigation team has launched its work into the incident" that forced the plane to land in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday.
It also said the investigation would determine "the degree to which (the incident) was linked to any terrorist activity or intent".
Feather Ruffling: FlyDubai Engine Fire Incident
Israel alleged on Wednesday that the co-pilot of the flight had tried to crash the aircraft but that the pilot and passengers intervened and averted the crash.
Passengers described rushing the cockpit after the plane suddenly plummeted, losing around 17,000 feet of altitude in the span of a minute, according to the Flightradar24 website.
Airline flydubai said all of the passengers -- of whom 166 out of 174 were Israeli, according to media reports -- were safe.
Israeli officials called the incident "an attempted terrorist attack" while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told US broadcaster Fox News it was "too early" to say who was behind the altercation and lauded those who prevented a crash.
"During the flight, as they approached the country, one of the pilots stabbed the other pilot, and apparently tried to crash the plane with everyone on board," Netanyahu said in a video message.
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