Orthodox Parables and Stories: "The Pilot that almost died"

An elderly priest, Father Alexy Emelianenko, served in our church. He told the following story:
"It happened twenty years ago. I then served in this church as a sexton, and also as a watchman.
Once the service ended, I waited in the narthex for the parishioners to come out and was about to close the doors, when suddenly a middle-aged man entered and began, walking around the church from the inside, carefully peering at the icons. I stood somewhat to the side, under the kliros ladder, and he did not notice me. Near the large, ancient icon of St. Nicholas, the man suddenly fell to his knees and burst into tears. It was so unexpected that I did not dare to disturb him ...
A few minutes later the man got up from his knees and headed for the exit. He would, of course, have passed by, but I could not resist and asked if any trouble had happened to him and if I could help ...
"No, no" he answered excitedly, "now everything is behind. It's just ... You see, I'm a military pilot, from the airfield in Gvardeyskoye - near Simferopol. And yesterday I had a night flight. I was alone in the cockpit. And suddenly my engine stalled. The plane began to fall. It happened very quickly, everything was decided by seconds. I tried to do something, but nothing helped and I realized that I was dying.
And suddenly I see that some grandfather is sitting next to me in the cockpit. Strange, but I was not at all surprised ... And this grandfather says to me so calmly, even kindly:
"Son, don't worry ... turn this little knob, and now turn this toggle switch on ... and press the button here this ..."
I did as he said and the engine started working ... I took the plane out of the dive, landed safely and only then realized what happened to me.
When I finished my shift and got to the city, I came to your temple and, just now I learned who that old man was who saved me from death!"
Priest Dimitri Shishkin.