Are we capable of more than we think? Could you land a plane if you really had to? Could you remove an appendix? The science of self-affirmation says the answer is clearly yes.
Passenger lands plane after pilot faints
Are we capable of more than we think? Could you land a plane if you really had to? Could you remove an appendix? The science of self-affirmation says the answer is clearly yes.
The passenger stared into the cockpit in horror. The pilot was slumped forward in his seat, his head resting against the controls.
Darren Harrison had only two options. He could do nothing, and the plane would tumble down into the shark-infested waters of the Florida coast. The aircraft's three occupants would certainly die. Or he could fly the plane himself.
There was just one problem: he had never flown a plane before. "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, slowly but surely, onto the tarmac. When the door opened, the controller could not contain his relief - he ran out onto the tarmac and pulled Harrison into an embrace.
Harrison's ordeal - and astonishing story of survival - made headlines around the world this week.
But incredibly, 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 suddenly mid-flight. And in 2012, an 80-year-old woman gained control of another Cessna after her husband, the pilot, collapsed.
In fact, history is filled with tales of ordinary people doing incredible things in the face of danger.
In 1961, Russian surgeon Leonid Rogozov fell desperately ill on an expedition to the AntarcticThe ship taking the expedition crew back to Russia was not due to arrive for another year. . He urgently needed his appendix to be removed, but there were no other doctors nearby.
"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."
Using only touch, Rogozov took out his own appendixIt took two hours for Rogozov to complete his operation. . Against all the odds, he survived and returned to the Soviet Union as a national hero.
So how do people achieve such extraordinary feats?
Many scientists believe the answer is simple: self-affirmation. Reminding yourself of your own values, capabilities 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 and stressful situations, says psychologist David Creswell.
Leonid Rogozov's son, Vladislav, believes it was his father's faith in his own 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."
Of course, not everyone has the same response to stress. When American man Tom Boyle Jr witnessed a car trap a cyclist, he instinctively ran over and lifted the car away - all 1,360 kilograms of it. Boyle's fear response had unleashed reserves of energy normally inaccessible, making him "in effect, superhuman", writes one journalist.
But Boyle is an unusual case. As an experienced weightlifter, he was already far stronger than the average person. 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.
Yet one thing is clear: neither would have achieved such incredible things if not for their own belief in themselves.
<h5 class=" eplus-wrapper">Are we capable of more than we think?</h5>
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.
Antarctic - The ship taking the expedition crew back to Russia was not due to arrive for another year.
Appendix - It took two hours for Rogozov to complete his operation.
Self-worth - In one study, participants who did self-affirmation exercises produced fewer stress hormones in response to stress than the control group.
Died - Self-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.
Passenger lands plane after pilot faints

Glossary
Antarctic - The ship taking the expedition crew back to Russia was not due to arrive for another year.
Appendix - It took two hours for Rogozov to complete his operation.
Self-worth - In one study, participants who did self-affirmation exercises produced fewer stress hormones in response to stress than the control group.
Died - Self-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.