FINAL DESCENT (TV)
Summary
This made-for-television film, based on the novel "The Glass Cockpit" by Robert P. Davis, tells the story of a pilot's desperate attempt to land his passenger jet after a midair collision. The story begins as young Glen Singer flies a homemade airplane with his friend Frank and escapes a minor crash unscathed, causing his mother to give him the nickname "Lucky." Many years later, Lucky, now a pilot, enjoys a morning with his girlfriend Connie, who reveals that she has finally been given permission to be his co-pilot on that day's trip to Dallas, though Lucky is annoyed to hear that they are also to be joined by a third pilot, George Bouchard, who is conducting a "check ride." As the passengers arrive at the airport, Connie questions Lucky about their uncertain relationship and urges him to "play their game," knowing that he likes to flout the rules and act on instinct in work and in life. Once on the plane, Bouchard flirts with Connie, hinting at a past dalliance, and criticizes Lucky's "old-fashioned" flight habits, like checking the oil level with a pencil. He instructs Lucky to use the auto-flight feature this time, but Lucky refuses, saying that he prefers to work manually and challenging Bouchard to have him fired.
The passengers, including teacher Crystal and her students as well as grumpy veteran Duke Houston, soon board the plane. At the same time, another pilot boards his small solo plane, though seems distracted by personal phone calls. On the ground, the air-traffic controllers realize that there has been an error and order the smaller plane to turn right immediately, but he collides with Lucky's plane and explodes. Everyone onboard panics and Lucky and Connie assess the damage and attempt to calm the passengers, though Duke seems to realize the seriousness of the situation. Lucky and Connie soon realize that the elevators have been damaged and that they cannot get the nose down, meaning that the plane can only ascend. Bouchard begins to panic, sure that they will burn up all their fuel and then crash, and Lucky contacts the ground for assistance. He speaks with Pryce, the head of the airline, as well as head engineer Henry Gibbons and his childhood friend Frank, now a lieutenant colonel. Lucky decides to weigh down the front of the plane with heavy items and conduct an air-to-air transfer with the help of another plane, though Gibbons dislikes his "cowboy" mentality. Lucky reassures Crystal and her son Adam, while on the ground Jack Eberly discovers that the crash was the other pilot's fault, though controller Carl struggles with a sense of guilt nonetheless.
The officials on the ground enter the plane's status into the computer and find that Lucky's plan will lead to catastrophic damage to the tail, and Lucky realizes that the plane is "coming apart." Tim and his oil rigger pals offer their assistance, and Duke spots an Army helicopter beside the plane and tells Lucky that he has flight experience from Vietnam and offers his advice as well. Ignoring Bouchard's panic, Lucky asks the helicopter pilot to fire holes through the elevators – very carefully – and calmly prepares the passengers for the impact. Duke's seatmate Patty comforts him as the plane is riddled with shots, and Tim helps the flight attendants when a fire breaks out in the kitchen area. The bullet holes help somewhat, though the plane is still in danger, and Lucky recalls his childhood flying adventures and gets an idea. He unlocks the wheel well and suggests to Pryce, Gibbons and Frank that they used a modified refueling technique to fill the nose of the plane with water to weigh it down. Gibbons argues that opening the cockpit hatch at that height will expose them to fatally low temperatures, but Lucky declares that they can quickly don Arctic suits to survive.
Lucky declares his love for Connie for the first time, but then confesses that he must ask her to take control of the plane in the deadly-cold cockpit while he handles the suits and the hose, meaning that she could very likely die. On the ground, Gibbons tells Pryce that there is simply not enough oxygen to support everyone on board once the hatch is opened, and Pryce is upset at the idea of "playing God." Lucky explains the plan to the oil riggers, and Bouchard declares that he will guide the water hose into the plane's nose. Gibbons tells Connie to flip the directional valve for the oxygen and she instructs the elderly and youngest passengers to move to the back of the plane for warmth, not realizing that there will actually be far less oxygen there. Bouchard, however, realizes the trick, and Lucky and Connie are outraged at the idea of "sacrificing" some of their passengers and resolve to save everyone onboard.
The plan goes ahead and they open the cockpit hatch, and Connie soon passes out from the extreme cold as Tim and Bouchard struggle with the hose. The water flows into the plane as Lucky tends to Connie, who soon recovers, and the nose finally begins to descend. The riggers save Bouchard from drowning, though the computers are damaged by an errant spray of water and the oxygen levels dip dangerously low as the plane descends. Eberly instructs Carl to guide the plane in, assuring him that he is capable, and Lucky times the landing very carefully, releasing the water onto the runway to avoid a hard crash. The landing is bumpy, but everyone survives, and the tired passengers applaud Lucky and Connie as they exit the plane. Lucky then suggests that they should make their relationship official with a wedding as soon as possible, and Connie happily agrees. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: CBS
- DATE: November 30, 1999 9:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:31:30
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:84981
- GENRE: Drama, action/adventure
- SUBJECT HEADING: Drama, action/adventure; Airplanes; Pilots
- SERIES RUN: CBS - TV, 1997
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Tom Patricia … Executive Producer
- Mike Robe … Co-Executive Producer, Director
- Michael O. Gallant … Producer
- Roger Young … Writer
- Robert P. Davis … Based on the book by
- David Benoit … Music by
- Blu Mankuma … Cast, Jack Eberly
- Robert Urich … Cast, Capt. Glen "Lucky" Singer
- Annette O'Toole … Cast, Connie Phipps
- John de Lancie … Cast, Capt. George W. Bouchard
- Jim Byrnes … Cast, Duke Houston
- Ken Pogue … Cast, Ian Pryce
- Tom McBeath … Cast, Pilot of Private Plane N9478C
- Kevin McNulty … Cast, Henry Gibbons
- Stephen E. Miller … Cast, Stephen E. Miller
- Gwynyth Walsh … Cast, Patty
- Lorraine Landry … Cast, Jill Zimmer
- Carrie Cain Sparks … Cast, Crystal Dupree
- Aaron Joseph … Cast, Adam Dupree
- Louva Meloche … Cast, Tasha
- Cody Serpa … Cast, Freddie
- Oscar Goncalves … Cast, Juan
- Fred Keating … Cast, Carl
- Roman Podhara … Cast, Tim Scott
- Addison Ridge … Cast, Young Glen
- Shayn Solberg … Cast, Young Frank
- Melanie Doerr … Cast, Mrs. Singer
- Calvin Green … Cast, Adam's Father
- Donna Yamamoto … Cast, Ticket Agent
- D. Harlan Cutshall … Cast, Harlan
- Jim Poyner … Cast, Flight Service Rep.
- Dan Weber … Cast, Maintenance Driver
- Paul Raskin … Cast, Mr. Cotts
- Carla Stewart … Cast, Margaret
- David Bloom … Cast, Engineer One
- Fred Perron … Cast, Oil Rigger #1
- Gerald Paetz … Cast, Oil Rigger #2
- David L. Gordon … Cast, Jill's Husband
- James Whibley … Cast, Jill's Son