Off-duty pilots honored by UAE President after flydubai midair attack
Two off-duty pilots, Henson Steven and Rowan Tooth, are being celebrated for stepping in when things went seriously wrong on a flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv.
After the copilot attacked Captain Smit Machchhar midair, allegedly trying to crash the plane with more than 170 people on board, the off-duty pilots took control and safely landed the aircraft.
Their quick thinking earned them a top honor from UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
Midair attack prompts Saudi landing
The attack happened midair. Even though he was injured, Captain Machchhar managed to alert everyone by opening the cockpit door.
An Israeli passenger briefly helped out at the controls until Steven and Tooth took over and landed safely in Saudi Arabia.
All passengers were later flown to Tel Aviv on a replacement flight.