The two off-duty pilots who landed flydubai flight FZ1073 after its co-pilot attacked the captain have finally been named. Henson Steven, from Fiji, and Rowan Tooth, from South Africa, were riding along as passengers so they could fly the plane back to Dubai. Instead, they ended up taking over the controls mid-flight and bringing everyone down safely in Saudi Arabia.
What Happened on Flight FZ1073
On Sept. 30, the flydubai Boeing 737 MAX was flying from Dubai International to Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport when the co-pilot turned on the captain. The co-pilot, reportedly an Omani national named Hamam al-Hammami, struck Captain Smit Machchhar with the cockpit's emergency crash axe. UAE prosecutors later said he planned to take control of the plane and crash it into the passenger terminal at Ben Gurion, and the UAE has called it an attempted terrorist attack.
Machchhar was badly hurt, but he still managed to get the cockpit door open. Crew members and passengers rushed in and overpowered the co-pilot as the plane reportedly dropped about 16,000 feet. Once the cockpit was secure, Steven and Tooth took over and diverted to Tabuk, in northwestern Saudi Arabia, where they landed safely. Everyone on board survived, and a replacement plane later flew the passengers on to Tel Aviv.
Who the Pilots Are
For a month, the pilots who landed the plane were known only as two off-duty crew members. Their names came out around a ceremony on Tuesday, Oct. 27, when UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan awarded the crew the First Class Order of Zayed II, one of the country's top civilian honors. Dubai's crown prince, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, presented the medals.
Steven previously flew for Fiji Airways, and some early reports had wrongly described him as a New Zealander. Tooth was born in Kimberley, in South Africa's Northern Cape, and reportedly flew for the South African regional airline Airlink before joining flydubai. Back in Kimberley, he's being celebrated as a hometown hero. Captain Machchhar, who is from India, received the same honor, and India's embassy in the UAE has said he is recovering.
What It Means if You Fly flydubai
Attacks like this are extremely rare, and part of the reason this one ended safely comes down to timing. Airlines often fly crew members as passengers to get them where their next trip starts, and on FZ1073 that meant two qualified pilots happened to be sitting in the cabin when they were needed most. Most travelers never give a second thought to the uniformed pilots reading their phones a few rows up. On this flight, they were the whole story.
The co-pilot was arrested by Saudi authorities and handed over to the UAE, which is leading the investigation. Questions are still open about how he was cleared to fly, since he had reportedly been flagged as a security risk before the attack.
Flydubai has reportedly extended its suspension of flights between Dubai and Tel Aviv until Nov. 30. If you're booked on that route before then, your flight won't operate, so check your booking with flydubai for rebooking or refund options.
