Off-duty pilots who saved 150 Israelis from hijacked flydubai plane named
Two pilots took control and landed the aircraft safely after its co-pilot attacked the captain with an axe
Two off-duty pilots who helped save around 150 Israeli passengers after a co-pilot attacked the captain of a flydubai flight with an axe have been named.
Henson Steven, from Fiji, and Rowan Tooth, from South Africa, took control of the aircraft after the attack sent it into a steep dive over Saudi Arabia.
The pair, who were travelling on the plane to operate its return flight, managed to land safely after passengers overpowered the attacker.
Their identities emerged after the United Arab Emirates honoured the pilots and crew for their bravery in preventing a disaster.
The incident happened on 30 September aboard flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv.
Captain Smit Machchhar was seriously injured when his co-pilot allegedly struck him with an emergency axe kept in the cockpit.
The Boeing 737 plunged 16,000ft in just 30 seconds as passengers and crew fought to regain control.
Israeli passengers rushed to help restrain the attacker, allowing Steven and Tooth to take over the controls and land the aircraft safely in Saudi Arabia.
Steven previously worked for Fiji Airways, while Tooth flew for South African airline Airlink until 2023.
Their bravery was recognised last week by UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who awarded them and other crew members the First Class Order of Zayed II.
Machchhar, who survived life-threatening injuries, also received the award.
Still recovering, the captain attended the ceremony wearing an arm sling, with stitches on the back of his head.
He told the president that his recovery would take another two months.
The president responded by offering to teach him self-defence.
“I have an idea. When you heal, I want to have a session with you to train you how to fight,” he said.
“It’s my biggest honour,” Machchhar replied.
UAE prosecutors have said the co-pilot, a 29-year-old Omani national, planned to crash the aircraft into the passenger terminal at Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport in a suicide attack inspired by the 11 September 2001 attacks in the United States.
Investigators said he had taken two previous flights to Tel Aviv to familiarise himself with the route and airport before attempting to carry out the attack on 30 September.