The passenger stared into the cockpit in horror. The pilot was slumped forward, his head resting on the controls.

Darren Harrison could do nothing, and the plane would tumble down to the Florida coast. Or he could fly the plane himself. 

There was one problem: he had never flown a plane. "I've got a serious situation here," he told the air traffic control room.  

With a printout of the Cessna 208's control panel, the air traffic controller guided him along the coast. Soon, the plane was descending onto the tarmac.

Harrison's ordeal made headlines around the world. 

But, he is not the first passenger to successfully land a plane. In 2009, the passenger of a two-engine turboprop took over when the pilot died mid-flight. And in 2012, an 80-year-old woman gained control of another Cessna after her husband, the pilot, collapsed. 

History is filled with ordinary people doing incredible things in the face of danger. 

In 1961, Russian surgeon Leonid Rogozov fell ill on an expedition to the AntarcticThe ship taking the expedition crew back to Russia was not due to arrive for another year. . He needed his appendix removed, but there were no other doctors. 

"I have to think through the only possible way out - to operate on myself," he wrote in his diary. "It's almost impossible... but I can't just fold my arms and give up."

Rogozov took out his own appendixIt took two hours for Rogozov to complete his operation. . He survived and returned to the Soviet Union a national hero.

How do people achieve such extraordinary feats? 

Many scientists believe the answer is self-affirmation. Reminding yourself of your own value and self-worthIn one study, participants who did self-affirmation exercises produced fewer stress hormones in response to stress than the control group.  can act as a "tool for self-defence" against threats, says psychologist David Creswell. 

Leonid Rogozov's son, Vladislav, believes it was his father's faith in his abilities that saved his life. "If you find yourself in a seemingly desperate situation, do not give up. Believe in yourself and fight, fight for life." 

Not everyone has the same response to stress. When American Tom Boyle Jr witnessed a car trap a cyclist, he ran over and lifted the car - all 1,360 kilograms of it. Boyle's fear response had unleashed reserves of energy normally inaccessible.

Boyle is an unusual case. As an experienced weightlifter, he was already very strong. Likewise, Leonid Rogozov would likely have diedSelf-belief does not always make surgeons successful. In the 19th Century, surgeon Robert Liston performed an amputation with a 300% mortality rate. The patient, his assistant and an onlooker all died. if not for his surgical knowledge. 

One thing is clear: neither would have achieved such incredible things if not for their belief in themselves.

Yes: The passenger's extraordinary landing proves it: we are capable of almost anything we set our minds to. And the first step to any successful task is believing in your own abilities.

No: Harrison was extremely lucky. We often hear about the unlikely heroes, but never those who tried and did not succeed. Most people know the limits of their own capabilities.

Or... Most humans are naturally cautious. The passenger's act of extreme courage saved his life - but in most situations, it is our caution that prevents us from taking wild risks and keeps us safe.