It’s scary to hear the question “is there a doctor on board?” when you’re thousands of feet in the air. But it’s terrifying to hear someone ask “is there a pilot on board?”. It doesn't happen often, but when passengers with little to no piloting experience are forced to take the controls, they better stay calm, have a pretty good sense of humor, and, most importantly, figure out where the button for the radio is located. In April 2009, a passenger flying home with his family found out why.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices