I know the drills like the back of my hand,but to be honest..I don`t think anyone really knows how they would react until something really bad happened.I came through a scare okay and think I could get a life threatening emegency / recovery under control.
Some people will see flames under the engine and hear it splutter to a abrupt stop,and find it a it of an inconveniance,a bit like missing their bus..oh well..not the end of the world kind of phycology,this "glider" will land in that field fine.Perhaps high time pilots??Risk being content though.
Other type,will think the end is nigh,The grim reaper is staring them in the face,and initially really panic,and procedures go outta the window and your not merely making a forced landing,in that kind of persons eyes,they are already dead as far as they are concerned and they are fighting to live.
I know someone like this and all I can say is her sense of survival is immense and she has ingenious ways of thinking of ways to get out of trouble.Not joking,she is like a computer,just working out all the things that can go wrong and plot solutions...Call me mad,I`d rather be the passenger in the back of her plane when things go wrong than with the 1st described pilot. I personally believe when you seriously think that you might not get home,you pull something amazing out of the bag.Anyone and Everyone in trouble will put up a very strong fight to live.
I have seen on a TV programme a plane ditch off the Canadian coast,the male pilot was in absolute panic according to accident reports,his engine failed out of reach of the land,so he started screaming at the atc to despatch boats etc.Anyhow,he lived,by quite literally dive bombing the lake down to..from my perception about 200ft,then dumping the flaps to full at the last minute,floating along in the ground effect and bleeding off the speed.Was in a PA28,I reckon he touched the water 30 knots,maybe less,smooth as silk touchdown.Simply amazing.
Anyone else see it??