As in most things aviation one can learn about fight or flight from the great flyer and writer, Ernest K Gann.
In his book "Fate is the Hunter" he describes his feelings when they had a cargo fire just after take off in a heavily laden DC4(?).
Part of him wanted to panic and just get the thing onto the ground as quickly as possible. The trained pilot in him kept his cool and he safely landed back on the runway. He said that what kept him from panicking, was a memory of his captain striking matches in his face as he was trying to land a DC2 in a thunderstorm many years before i.e. training.
I was reminded of this when a BOAC 707 had a serious fire after T/O from Heathrow many years ago. The crew must have had similar feelings as they successfully completed a circuit with one wing ablaze. Is there some record of their experience at the time?