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Pilots Who Thwarted Flydubai Terror Flight Attack Revealed

By i24NEWS, רון צור

Translated & summarized from i24NEWS by baba

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Hebrew · 5 newsrooms covering

Two pilots, Captain Hanson Stephen and First Officer Rowan Toth, have been identified for their actions in preventing a terror attack on Flydubai flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv on September 30. After the co-pilot attacked the captain and the plane lost altitude, the two pilots took control and landed the damaged aircraft safely in Saudi Arabia with 182 people aboard. They were honored with the UAE's Zayed II Medal for their bravery.

The story in 5 lines · by baba

Captain Hanson Stephen and First Officer Rowan Toth prevented a terror attack on a Flydubai flight.
The co-pilot attacked the captain with an axe; passengers subdued the assailant.
The pilots took control of the plane after it lost 17,000 feet in altitude.
The damaged aircraft was landed safely in Tubuk, Saudi Arabia, with 182 people.
The pilots were honored with the UAE's Zayed II Medal for their heroism.

Pilots Who Thwarted Flydubai Terror Flight Attack Revealed — Editorial illustration generated by baba News, not a photograph of the event.

The identities of two additional pilots who took control of a Flydubai flight and landed it safely after a terror attack have been revealed one month after the incident. Captain Hanson Stephen from Fiji, a former Fiji Airways pilot, and First Officer Rowan Toth from South Africa, who joined the airline in 2023, were honored for their bravery.

The two were scheduled to pilot the Boeing 737 on its return flight when they entered the cockpit following an assault by the co-pilot, identified as Hamaam Al-Hamami from Oman. Al-Hamami attacked the Indian captain, Smith Majahar, with an emergency axe, causing severe head injuries. Despite his injuries, Captain Majahar managed to open the cockpit door, allowing Israeli passengers and crew members to subdue and restrain the attacker using headphone cables.

During the struggle, the aircraft lost approximately 17,000 feet in altitude and sustained significant damage to its tail. However, Stephen and Toth took control of the aircraft and successfully landed the damaged plane with its 182 passengers and crew at Tubuk Airport in Saudi Arabia.

The pilots' identities were disclosed following a ceremony in the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday, September 27. UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan presented them and the crew with the first-class Zayed II Medal, one of the country's highest civilian honors. The award was presented by Dubai Crown Prince Hamdan bin Mohammed.

Anwar Gargash, the UAE President's Diplomatic Advisor, praised the crew on X (formerly Twitter), stating that the award recognizes their courage, bravery, and composure in protecting passenger lives. He emphasized that safeguarding human life is the paramount duty and greatest contribution.