Speaking of points for effort, there's the story of the helios crash flight attendant.
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After the flight failed to contact air traffic control upon entering Greek air space, two F-16 fighter aircraft from the Hellenic Air Force 111th Combat Wing were scrambled from Nea Anchialos Air Base to establish visual contact. They noted that the aircraft appeared to be on autopilot. In accordance with the rules for handling "renegade" aircraft incidents (where the aircraft is not under pilot control), one fighter approached to within 300 ft (91 m), and saw the first officer was slumped motionless at the controls. The pilot could also see that the captain was not upright in the cockpit and that oxygen masks were seen dangling in the passenger cabin.
Later, the F-16 pilots saw the flight attendant Andreas Prodromou enter the cockpit and sit at the controls, seemingly trying to regain control of the aircraft. He eventually noticed the F-16, and signalled him. The pilot pointed forward as if to ask, "Can you carry on flying?" Prodromou responded by shaking his head and pointing downward. The cockpit voice recorder recorded him calling "mayday" multiple times. Within minutes, due to lack of fuel, the engines failed in quick succession and the aircraft began to descend. Prodromou grabbed the yoke and attempted to steer, but the plane continued, hit the ground and exploded. At the time of impact, the passengers and crew were likely unconscious but breathing. None survived.

http://flightsafetyandyou.blogspot.c...as-helios.html


Dude had a commercial pilots license and had been sucking down 15 minute oxygen canisters while trying to get through the cockpit door. Took him two hours to break through the door (or find/guess the code for the lock). Plane ran outta fuel soon after he got to the controls. Also his girlfriend was one of the other flight attendants working the flight...