Pilot saved 419 lives by breaking strict rules after engine shut down

When it comes to flying a plane, you'd probably want the aircraft's pilot to be following the rules and regulations meticulously.

You certainly wouldn't expect any rules to be broken, right?

But one pilot managed to save 419 lives when he scrapped the rule book during an emergency mid-flight.

Pilot Sifis Migadis had over 30 years of experience (YouTube/Mini Air Crash Investigation)

The dramatic events unfolded back in 1978 on board an Olympic Airways plane travelling from Ellinikon International Airport - the main airport in Athens, Greece - to New York's JFK.

There were 400 passengers on board, along with 18 crew members. Pilot Sifis Migadis - who had over 30 years of experience - was in charge of the jet, meanwhile Konstantinos Fikardos took the role of co-pilot.

Just moments after it became airborne, one of the jet's engines shut down.

While the plane continued on, the loss of one of the engines meant it was going slower than usual.

This is particularly concerning because it didn't have its usual power and barely climbed to 200 feet in altitude.

For reference, planes fly at around 31,000 to 42,000 feet. While this is a steady rise, the jet should have been climbing at a much faster speed.

On the ground, many thought the plane was about to crash into the city of Athens.

According to one flight attendant, they could see people working in offices from the plane windows.

The plane was skimming the buildings of Athens (Edoardo Frola/Getty Images)

Migadis had to think quickly and decided to boost the plane's aerodynamics by retracting its landing gear at an altitude lower than usual.

It was a smart move, but when landing gear is retracted, it usually doesn't happen until the plane is at a high enough altitude.

It certainly helped the urgent situation, but with Mount Aigaleo up ahead, the aircraft wasn't totally out of the woods.

Shortly before the flight was due to pass over the mountain, a headwind gave the plane some altitude, and the pilot was able to make a gradual turn which allowed the aircraft to avoid a collision.

The pilot then managed to make the aircraft even lighter by dumping fuel over the ocean, and manoeuvring it back to Ellinikon airport.

The passengers were unharmed and the plane landed safely.

Later, Boeing reported that there was an 'engine shut down' while the plane lifted off.