Pilots reveal terrifying and bizarre in-flight experiences in a series of confessions including ink pens causing emergencies and stowaways in the toilet

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Fire in the cockpit, ink pens causing emergencies and near misses so close that pilots could feel the turbulence.

These are just a few of the shocking incidents revealed in a series of confessions by anonymous airline pilots - and they're not for the nervous flyer.

From dodging snow plows on the runway to discovering stowaways in the toilet, here are a few of the things that the captains have confirmed left them embarrassed, scared and even under investigation.

Fire in the cockpit

One pilot caused a scare when the sun began burning a clear plastic bottle that he'd left between his legs (stock image)

Revealing all by submitting his confession to Callback, the official newsletter of the Aviation Safety Reporting System, which is the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) voluntary confidential incident reporting website, one pilot said he had been enjoying a bottle of water at 11,000ft when he and the captain agreed that a smell of smoke was starting to fill the cockpit.

After a few seconds the pilot felt an intense burning pain on his left leg - which is when he realised that the smoke was actually coming from his trousers. 

Leaving the clear, plastic water bottle between his legs, the pilot had not realised that it was placed in direct sunlight and was magnifying rays that were beaming in through a side window.

Writing to the newsletter, the anonymous pilot said: 'At least if a fire had actually been allowed to develop, the emergency procedure would have been quite simple - [first] pull open spout; [and secondly] squirt.'

Since the incident, the pilot admitted that he now thinks twice about bringing plastic and glass objects into the cockpit - and especially about leaving them on his seat while the aircraft is unattended.

A snow plow on the runway?

'I saw a snow plow on Taxiway A,' one pilot wrote on the newsletter, before explaining that he did not hear any ground vehicles declaring their presence on the traffic advisory frequency.

After visually checking the final approach, the pilot commenced take off. However, as he began to pick up speed, the snow plow entered the runway.

Now facing the aircraft, the pilot said that the snow plow was directly in his way. However, he had hit the point of no return, so had to take-off.

Pulling the aircraft up the pilot revealed that he missed the vehicle by no more than 100ft as he passed over it.

Wrong way!

Prior to touchdown, one pilot was hit by the sudden realisation that the runway he was about to land on was not the right one (stock image)

One pilot revealed that a mistake he made could have led to a catastrophe, but luck was on his side.

Upon approach to land, he called ahead for taxi clearance for Runway 9 at an undisclosed airport and began to follow a string of green lights leading ahead.

Prior to touchdown, the pilot was hit by the sudden realisation that the runway he was about to land on was not number nine, but in fact an intersecting path.

Thankfully, the runway was closed at the time of the incident.

During his confession he admitted that he had been to the airport dozens of times before and was embarrassed that he had allowed his judgement to be altered by lights.

Crop duster near-miss 

One near miss was a result of the collision avoidance system on a plane not showing any other aircraft in the area (stock image)

One pilot said he was horrified when a crop duster passed the front of his aircraft at a distance of just 300 feet.

Coming from the '11 o'clock position', the pilot revealed that the small plane was less than 100ft above his flight path and when it flew on by, he felt the wake turbulence because of its close proximity. 

The incident, which occurred at an altitude of 8,000 feet, was later investigated by the FAA and the near miss was found to be a result of a plane fault. The collision avoidance system wasn't showing any other aircraft in the area.

Who is flying the plane?

During a passenger flight on a Boeing 757, one pilot admitted he was shocked after he realised that nobody was flying the plane.

Leaving his seat to use the toilet, he said that he passed an air hostess who locked the cockpit door behind him. 

Upon returning, the pilot knocked on the cockpit door. However, instead of being greeted by the cabin crew member, he was passed by the first officer who claimed he now needed the toilet.

The pilot said: 'We passed each other as he let me in and exited to use the facility himself. I knew instantly that nobody was "flying" the plane - of course, the autopilot was on and we were in level flight - and I quickly jumped into my seat. 

'Nobody was at the controls for maybe five or 10 seconds. In his zest to be efficient and minimize the opening of the cockpit door for security reasons, the First Officer forgot he was leaving the aeroplane unattended when he got up to let me in and himself out. This was an embarrassing situation.'

Captain, there is a stowaway in the toilet 

One pilot described the alarming situation of a stowaway hiding in the aircraft's toilet

On another flight in 1998, one pilot was forced to leave the cockpit after a stewardess reported finding a stowaway, who had just been released from a rehabilitation centre for drugs, hiding in the toilet.

Staff were forced to continue on to their destination while keeping the man - who the pilot described as 'nervous and wide-eyed' - at the back of the plane.

The incident was put down to staff not checking boarding cards and rushing passengers onto an overcrowded aircraft in a bid to make their departure time. 

The pilot finished his confession by stating that in future, staff should be assigned to check the toilets before closing the aeroplane doors. 

Wake up!

While en-route, one pilot fell asleep at the controls of his Piper Cherokee PA28 and only woke up as it crash landed into a cotton field (stock image)

One pilot took sleepwalking to another level when he crash-landed after snoozing during his night flight.

Taking off just after midnight, the tired pilot was flying his personal small aircraft to an airfield to refuel.

While en-route, he fell asleep at the controls of the Piper Cherokee PA28 and only woke up as it crashed into a cotton field.

Lucky to be alive, the pilot confirmed that the incident was caused by a poor decision to fly late at night without proper rest after a long day at work. 

Fume-like odour

At 33,000ft, two pilots agreed that a fume-like smell, similar to that of paint thinner, could be smelt in the cockpit - which resulted in the initiation of a 'fume checklist'.

The pilot wrote that the smell was soon reported by two flight attendants and the source could not be established. It was determined that an in-flight emergency should be declared.

Calling ahead, the pilots began their diversion to another airport with a 180-degree turn.

One of the flight attendants, however, called into the cockpit and sheepishly informed the pilots that the fume-like odour was actually caused by two children in first class, who had just begun to use ink markers in colouring-in books.

Aircraft out of control 

A pilot revealed that his plane slammed into jet blast from a 747 in an incident that nearly ended tragically (stock image)

Another report contained a description of a passenger plane being seriously endangered by the jet blast from another.

A pilot revealed that while taxiing between parallel runways in an Airbus 320, a close encounter with jet blast from a Boeing 747 resulted in a violent near miss on take off.

Instructed to taxi into position and hold on the runway, the pilot said he was soon cleared for take off and started his take-off roll.

But just after he began moving forward a Boeing 747 powered across in front of him, leaving turbulence on the runway from the jet blast.

At lift off, the Airbus began to buffet violently left and right several times from this and using 'full flight control deflection' to maintain control, the pilot battled to stabilise, but it wasn't until 50-feet up that the aircraft became controllable and everything smoothed out, he said.

The pilot later stated in a report that what had happened had been an extremely dangerous scenario and came close to ending tragically.