There' a whole song on three atheists of different heritages, one ex-muslim, one ex-christian and the third ex-jew, flying to "the Atheist's Convention in L.A". XD In the end a miracle happens and they all convert.

About the plane crash however, it was surely with God's best intentions. Trust in God's plan! There's always an explanation if you're willing to accept it.

Prayers are just wishful thinking. (Please, please don't crash...boom! and bye bye.)

I have no time for intellectual refuseniks who make such absurd claims about atheists.

Maybe some who were believers at one time could revert to the former habit of praying in times of extreme danger or fear. That is entirely possible although purely hypothetical, so can’t actually be tested in the case of a plane crashing to the ground (presuming no survivors). As for people like me, who has never been a believer, and therefore have never been in the habit of praying…I think it extremely unlikely that the urge to pray would even occur to me in such a moment of impending doom.