Interesting to speculate how many lives might have been saved in previous accidents, had any of the passengers had the courage to voice their observations.
How often does a passenger report an issue to such an extent that it reaches the captain?
I've had three cases, two as a passenger and one as a ground observer (filming)
I reported what I thought to be fuel leaking, observed from the ground at sunrise, message was relayed to the pilot via Gatwick Tower, turned out to be icing fluid, backlit and forming a visible trail from the tail against the clear morning sky
I reported a near miss with two (blurred) objects, which I assumed were very large birds, on approach to Canne. Spoke to pilot on landing and he considered that it could have also been an object being ejected from an engine, saying it was not unusual for paint to flake and he would have a look.
But I "bottled out" of calling a steward on a 777 transatlantic flight, landing at Gatwick, when I suspected that the flaps motor had not turned off.
Sitting adjacent the wing I could clearly hear the whirr of the flaps motor and observed the flaps deploy, but the motor did not cycle off.
Sure enough at low level, the pilot decided to go-around, as presumably he was not sure the flaps were fully deployed.
If there is a next time, I won't be so shy.
Mickjoebill