Off-duty pilots who landed flydubai plane after foiled terror attack finally revealed at UAE ceremony

The identities of two off-duty pilots who safely landed a flydubai plane full of Israeli passengers in September after a foiled terror attack by one of the assigned pilots were finally revealed last week when they were honored for their actions by the United Arab Emirates.

Henson Steven of Fiji and Rowan Tooth of South Africa took control of the damaged aircraft and made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia after the copilot, Hamam al-Hammami, had attacked the Tel Aviv-bound flight’s Indian pilot, intending to take control of the plane and crash it into Ben Gurion Airport. Al-Hammami was thwarted by the Indian pilot, Captain Smit Machchhar, who managed to open the cockpit door, and by a group of Israeli passengers who tackled and immobilized him as he then sought to immediately crash the plane. One of the Israelis briefly took the controls and stabilized the plane for a few seconds, before the two off-duty pilots took over.

On Tuesday, UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan awarded them and the rest of the crew the First Class Order of Zayed II, “in recognition of their courageous efforts to ensure the safety of passengers,” his office said at the time.

Until then, the pair’s identities had not been reported while attention was focused on Machchhar, who was seriously injured as he fought with the terrorist.

Machchhar has recounted how he was struck in the back of the head with an emergency axe by Omani national al-Hammami, and struggled to shield himself from the blows and open the cockpit door to enable a handful of Israeli passengers to come inside to halt the attack.

During the September 30 incident, the airliner plunged 16,000 feet (4,900 meters) in 30 seconds. Once he realized his plan to reach Tel Aviv was no longer possible, Hammami put the plane into a dive in an attempt to crash it, causing damage to its rudder.

The small group of Israeli passengers who burst into the cockpit have described how they tackled the terrorist copilot and cuffed him, and one of them, Yaniv Hayun, stabilized the plane.

Steven and Tooth, off-duty pilots who were aboard the flight to pilot the plane for its return flight, took over the controls and made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia before a replacement aircraft returned passengers to Tel Aviv.

Their awards were personally presented by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai.

Machchhar was honored with the same award.

Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to the UAE president, posted on X after the ceremony that “The heroism of the flydubai crew will remain a testament that human life is a trust, that saving lives is an unforgettable act of bravery, and a stance that history will immortalize.”

Steven previously worked for Fiji Airways and Tooth for South African airline Airlink, the Ynet news site reported, citing South African media.