EVERY time an aircraft takes to the air "the aircraft and it occupants" are in "grave peril." In general, an incident becomes "incredibly serious" if variables under the control of the aircrew or the airline are causal to the incident. In this case, it seems that variables not under the control of the aircrew almost caused a serious accident, but swift and effective action by the aircrew prevented a serious accident. The result was an "E Ticket Ride" for the passengers, but they all walked away, and probably most with a smile.