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 in September after a foiled terror attack by one of the assigned pilots were 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 after the co-pilot attacked the pilot with the intention of taking control of the airliner and crashing it into Ben Gurion Airport.

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.

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

Machchhar has recounted how he was struck in the back of the head with an emergency axe by his co-pilot, Omani national Hamam al-Hammami, and struggled to shield himself from the blows and open the cockpit door to allow others to come inside to halt the attack.

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During the September 30 incident, the airliner plunged 16,000 feet (4,900 meters) in 30 seconds. It is thought that once he realized his plan to reach Tel Aviv was lost, Hammami put the plane into a dive in an attempt to crash it, causing damage to its rudder.

Several passengers intervened to subdue him. A small group of Israeli passengers who burst into the cockpit has 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.

The awards were presented by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, the Ynet outlet reported Saturday.

Machchhar was also honored with the same award during the ceremony.

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, Ynet reported, citing South African media.

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