Nothing here suggests to me that Andrew172 is anything near the same league as Memphis_Bell...
Whether or not it's a question of practical significance, I've enjoyed the replies here and whilst I agree it's not something that should keep a pilot awake at night, it seems a reasonable question for a newbie to wonder about - especially if transports have safeguards against such failures. My own mechanical experience comes mostly from bicycle maintainence and it's a source of unending delight to me, the extent to which aircraft primary controls are more reliable than even the best maintained bicycle brake cables and rear derailleurs.