The UAE has for the first time disclosed the names of the pilots who managed to safely land the Flydubai plane after it found itself in a hijacking attempt. They are Henson Steven of Fiji and South African Rowan Tooth. Both pilots took control of the airliner after one of the pilots attacked the captain and helped bring it in to land in Saudi Arabia.
Circumstances of the incident on the Dubai–Tel Aviv flight
The incident occurred on September 30, when a Boeing 737 MAX 8 passenger plane of Flydubai, operating flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv, made an emergency landing at Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia. According to the main version, the cause was a fight in the cockpit.
According to that version, one of the pilots attacked the other with a knife and tried to seize control of the aircraft. In the ensuing struggle, the plane briefly lost altitude sharply.
How the events unfolded
There were 174 people on board. According to accounts from some passengers, screams were first heard from the cockpit, after which the cockpit door flew open and people saw that one of the pilots was wounded and his clothes were covered in blood.
Recognition of merit
It was previously reported that on October 27 the President of the UAE awarded crew members the Order of Zayed II, First Class, one of the country's high state honors.
- Henson Steven — a pilot from Fiji, a former Boeing 737 pilot at Fiji Airways
- Rowan Tooth — a pilot originally from Kimberley, South Africa
Both pilots were on board on September 30, but not as part of the main crew — they were to fly the aircraft on the return flight.
