Steve Buhagiar and David Sidorski received the 2024 Salute to Excellence Matthew S. Zuccaro Land & LIVE Award. This award recognizes individuals for their aeronautical decision-making skills, management of crew resources, and/or a helicopter pilot(s), flight crewmember(s), and/or maintenance personnel performing coordinated actions.

In September 2022, pilots Buhagiar and Sidorski faced a critical emergency while flying a Bristow Group Leonardo AW139 helicopter—with four passengers onboard—from an offshore oil platform to Houma, Louisiana. Seven minutes from the airport, they encountered thick smoke in the cockpit from an overhead panel fire, leading to engine racing and an unintended rapid climb. They managed to maintain control by strategically idling engines and adjusting rotor rpm. This included breaking a window for smoke clearance and performing risky maneuvers to decrease altitude. The helicopter eventually landed safely, resulting in only one minor injury. The incident, later attributed to faulty wiring, demonstrated exceptional pilot skill and teamwork during a crisis.