"To put it in perspective. Most pros have heard muggins the private pilot or RAA pilot who reckon HE could land the big jet if the pilots died.
He's a pilot! Learned how to fly. Done hundreds of hours flying the big jets on flight sim AND has had a go at flying the 737 sim the public gets to pay to have a go in AND he landed it perfectly. "
Actually FLYING magazine in the US about 10 years ago sought to answer this question. They took a dozen university aviation program students who had a bare VFR PPL and put them in a 737 level D simulator and a few were able to get it on the ground. A few did crash however if memory serves me right. I will try to dig it up.
Mythbusters covered it in one episode as well. In a simulator they each did one landing without assistance, and another with assistance from ATC. First situation was straight into the ground, and the second I think bent the plane but was considered to have saved it - and these are guys coming from no experience. The major issues seemed to be finding controls and by the time they had a few goes at it they had it somewhat in hand.
I am not saying "RAA muggins" is going to grease it in, but I would think someone who at least understands basic flying concepts, maybe has had a play in one of these flight sims, and has some help from the ground is going to have a lot better chance of a successful outcome compared to joe punter.