News broke on Wednesday that an Arik Air Boeing 737-7GL aircraft (registration 5N-MJF), operating a scheduled domestic flight from Lagos to Port Harcourt, experienced an in-flight engine anomaly and safely diverted to Benin Airport. Thankfully, the aircraft landed without reported casualties. While aviation authorities will focus on the technical investigation, there is an important health dimension to incidents like this that often goes unaddressed. Moments of unexpected danger—especially thousands of feet above ground—can have significant physical and psychological effects on passengers and crew. The Body’s Immediate Reaction to In-Flight Emergencies When passengers hear words like “engine anomaly” or feel a sudden change in engine performance, the body instantly switches into survival mode. The sympathetic nervous system triggers the “fight or flight” response: Heart rate increases Blood pressure rises Breathing becomes rapid and shallow Muscles tense Stress hormones such as ad...