No one wants to endure something like this. Getty Images

Absurdly Driven looks at the world of business with a skeptical eye and a firmly rooted tongue in cheek.

It all started calmly enough.

As the Flight Attendant began to ask passengers to fasten their seatbelts, everything seemed normal.

Then came the word brace.

You never want to hear that on a plane. It means there might be trouble.

In the case of this American Airlines flight from Phoenix to Dallas-Fort Worth, operated by Mesa Airlines, the Flight Attendant suddenly announced that things might get bumpy.

Having instructed passengers on the brace position, he then added: "We expect to evacuate the aircraft quickly and safety [sic], if we evacuate."

The footage posted to Facebook by passenger Steve Ramsthel -- who is himself a pilot -- is remarkable.

What's also remarkable is the way the cabin crew, who are trained for just such a situation, try to stay calm.

It's one thing going through training. It's quite another when you have to face the real situation and it's potentially life-threatening.

Listen closely and you might tell that the Flight Attendant's voice is shaking.

It's clear that, as he's reading from a card, he's deeply concerned about what will happen during the Bombardier CRJ-900's landing.

But he's not transmitting panic, which some flight crews have been known to do.

It's equally clear that the passengers seem to be relatively calm, following the instructions and, perhaps, simply hoping for the best.

Yes, one does say "shit" when the drama has passed. But you couldn't describe the atmosphere as desperate, which is a credit to the crew.

Ramsthel told ABC 15: "There were some people crossing themselves, but I thought the adrenaline was high and everybody just cooperated."

It's true that the voices of some of the Flight Attendants seem far more nerve-racked than anything that came from the passengers.

But they clearly managed to maintain (emotional) control.

Ramsthel added that he could smell smoke in the cabin. American Airlines said the problem was a malfunctioning fan.

This isn't something any passenger wants to endure.

Watching it as it happens, though, adds a certain additional element to what it might feel like.