Sure they will. My wife for example. I said to her that I thought it far fetched that the captain would be shocked after the go-around but she said WHY? Do you know what shock is? She's a nurse, and no, considering there are a number of descriptions of shock I suppose she's right. Why wouldn't pax have peed their pants, it's a normal reaction when the body gets ready to die or flee. Can't say I enjoy flying when someone else is at the controls and I'm in the back and can't see what the heck is going on.
Flight attendants aren't immune to fear of death and I'm sure it was a pretty shaky ride. Ok, they may have exaggerated a bit, that's drama, and it's still a sensationalist newspaper.
I nearly peed my pants the other night when a 3000 hr pilot performed aerobatics, IMC, in gusty weather when he was supposed to be flying IFR point-to-point and learn how the non-aerobatic aircraft operated with one engine out.
If I hadn't known anything about flying I would have shat myself.
