I went to an elementary school in Houston that was named for an Air Force pilot who rather than eject and risk the aircraft from crashing into the residential neighborhood, stayed with the plane and crashed it into an empty field.
Of course all crashes are different as to how an aircraft may or may not respond in a crash situation.
I think that is the variable — depends on how the plane is malfunctioning. If there is no way to control it, then he did what was right. I have been praying for the man whose family was killed, tho. How tragic.
Was this incident re-told in a Robert Duvall movie? Can’t remember the name.