Ex-South African Cricketer's Son Among 2 Pilots Who Landed flydubai Plane

A month after a co-pilot attacked Indian captain Smit Machchhar with an axe aboard a flydubai flight, two additional pilots who helped land the damaged aircraft safely have been honoured.

One of them, Rowan Tooth, is the son of former South African cricketer Barry Tooth, who died last year.

Tooth and Henson Steven from Fiji were travelling as additional crew members on flydubai Flight FZ1073 on September 30. They were supposed to fly the aircraft on its return journey. However, after the attack, the two pilots took control of the damaged aircraft and managed to land it safely at an airport in Saudi Arabia.

Their names were made public on October 27, when the UAE honoured them for their role in saving the passengers. Both pilots received the First Class Order of Zayed II. Captain Machchhar, who was seriously injured in the attack, also received the award.

Who Are The Pilots?

Rowan Tooth is a pilot from South Africa. He earlier worked with Airlink, a South African airline. He later joined flydubai in 2023. According to South African media reports, Tooth is from Kimberley in the Northern Cape.

Henson Steven is a pilot from Fiji. He previously worked with Fiji Airways before joining Flydubai.

What Happened On Flydubai Flight?

The Boeing 737 was flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv when the co-pilot, Hamam al-Hammami, an Omani national, attacked Indian captain Smit Machchhar inside the cockpit.

He used an emergency axe kept inside the cockpit and hit the captain several times on the head. Machchhar was badly injured and lost a lot of blood.

According to The Times of Israel, the aircraft dropped around 16,000 feet in just 30 seconds. The plane's rudder was also damaged during the incident. Steven and Tooth then entered the cockpit and took control of the aircraft.

The aircraft landed safely at the airport. A replacement plane was later arranged to take the passengers to Tel Aviv.

UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan conferred the honour on the Flydubai crew members. Dubai Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum presented the medals at the ceremony on October 27.