Flydubai Co-Pilot May Have Shut Down Engines During 16,000-Foot Plunge

A new investigation by Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera into the flydubai flight attack last Wednesday reveals that the Omani co-pilot may have shut down the engines during a 16,000-foot plunge.

According to the report, after repeatedly striking the Indian captain and realizing his original crash plan would fail, the co-pilot disconnected the autopilot and took control of the aircraft. He then pushed the controls sharply forward, causing the plane to lose altitude rapidly.

The investigation also raises a possibility that the co-pilot may have cut the fuel supply to the engines, effectively shutting them down. Two Boeing 737 captains who examined passenger videos reached this conclusion after observing emergency lights illuminating the cabin, which would typically only occur during an emergency or when on the ground.

These lights can be activated when a plane loses its main electrical power source and switches to battery power, indicating that either the generators or engines would have been shut down. Investigators will need to determine whether the co-pilot moved the fuel flow control switches from 'Run' to 'Cutoff.'