Two pilots landed flydubai plane after attack on Indian captain
Henson Steven and Rowan Tooth took control of the aircraft following an attack on Captain Smit Machchhar.
The identities of two off-duty pilots who landed a flydubai flight following an attack on Indian Captain Smit Machchhar have been revealed, according to reports by Hindustan Times and The Indian Express. The pilots, Henson Steven from Fiji and Rowan Tooth from South Africa, took control of flight FZ1073 after the co-pilot, Hamam al-Hammami from Oman, attacked Machchhar in the cockpit.
The incident occurred on September 30 during a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv. Investigators said al-Hammami was trying to crash the plane and hit Machchhar on the head with an emergency axe. The attack caused the jet to plunge nearly 14,000 to 16,000 feet in less than 30 seconds.
After Machchhar managed to open the cockpit door, passengers and crew members alerted to the attack overpowered the co-pilot. Steven and Tooth then entered the cockpit, took control of the aircraft, and performed an emergency landing at Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia.
The two pilots were on board as extra crew to ensure the crew did not exceed permitted duty hours. A replacement plane later transported the more than 170 passengers to Tel Aviv.
On Tuesday, October 27, UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan awarded the First Class Order of Zayed II to the crew members, including Machchhar, for their efforts to ensure passenger safety.