The pilots who fought in the cockpit of a FlyDubai jet during an apparent murder-suicide mission were moved to the United Arab Emirates for further questioning while investigators seek additional information from the plane’s voice and data recorders to replay the fateful final hour of the flight.

“Following medical clearance, both pilots departed Saudi Arabia for Abu Dhabi on Thursday, October 1, accompanied by the UAE security team,” according to the state-run Saudi Press Agency.

The status of the voice and data recordings, or “black boxes,” from the aircraft’s deck hasn’t been announced. Some recorders use a continuous loop that can overwrite existing data to record newer information, meaning that in a worst-case scenario the crucial moments in the cockpit would have been erased.

The preliminary investigation in Saudi Arabia, where the Boeing Co. 737 jet carrying more than 170 passengers made an emergency landing at Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Airport, confirmed there was an altercation in the cockpit, with the co-pilot assaulting the captain. Both men were injured during the struggle, but the statement didn’t provide further details or name the crew members.

India’s government previously identified the pilot as Smit Machchhar, while Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the co-pilot is an Omani national. Neither the airline nor the UAE government has confirmed that information. Social media videos showed the bloodied crew members in the aftermath of what’s been called an attack using an ax.

“As time passes, the picture is becoming clearer: The attacker underwent Islamist radicalization,” Netanyahu said, according to a statement issued by his office Friday. “He came to crash the plane with all passengers on board.”

The Israeli government is trying to determine whether the attacker was acting at the behest of others.

“We are investigating whether he was sent, and whoever sent him will pay a very heavy price,” Netanyahu said.

FlyDubai Chief Executive Officer Ghaith Al Ghaith thanked the passengers who helped subdue the attacker and said the airline supports the ongoing investigation. It also has suspended operations to Tel Aviv until further notice.

“I know there are many questions about what happened on board FZ 1073,” he said, according to a statement issued by the airline. “It is important that we allow this process to establish the facts.”

Anwar Gargash, a senior foreign-policy adviser to UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, called the midair incident a “dangerous terrorist act.”

“Far from the easy reduction of what happened or the adoption and promotion of conspiracy theories, vigilance and caution remain essential in confronting the risks of extremism and terrorism,” he wrote in a post on X on Friday.

The nationality of the co-pilot is in the spotlight because Oman and Israel don’t have formal diplomatic ties, which restricts their citizens’ access to each other’s countries. That means an Omani crew member shouldn’t be flying a plane destined for Israel. The FlyDubai service was scheduled to land in Tel Aviv.

Israel Transportation Minister Miriam Regev called it a “a clear breach of the agreement” and asked the security agency Shin Bet to investigate, according to the Jerusalem Post.

The initial inquiry was done in Saudi Arabia in coordination with a UAE security team, which follows globally recognized aviation standards. The Chicago convention signed in 1944 stipulates that the state where the incident occurred owns the investigation, but that nation can seek assistance from the states where the plane was made and registered.

In the case of flight FZ 1073, invitations may be extended to both the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration since the plane was made by Boeing and to the UAE since the plane was registered there.

—With assistance from Ahmed Elimam, Sara Gharaibeh and Dan Williams.

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