Airline Disaster

On Coastal Airlines' maiden flight the Starquest is commanded by pilot Joseph Franklin. Special Agent Gina Vitale is aboard to shield Franklin, who is the President's brother. The flight is pitched as the most sophisticated, enjoyable travel experience to date.

Back at the Franklin household, intruders slip inside and murder the housekeeper before abducting his wife and children. The family’s capture creates a high-stakes parallel crisis that mirrors the airborne hijacking. The assault sets up the personal stakes for President Harriet Franklin.

A cadre of ten neo-Nazi terrorists smuggle guns aboard and force their way into the cockpit, killing the navigator in the process. Their grip on the plane marks the beginning of a violent hijack and a tense standoff. The crew and passengers are thrust into a deadly gamble for control.

Special Agent Vitale makes it into the cargo hold and establishes radio contact with her home base. She coordinates with the authorities as the hijackers tighten their hold on the aircraft. The cargo area becomes a crucial nerve center for the crisis.

Robert Stevens leads the assault and reveals the hijacking is a front for a bank heist by the Argus Aryan Brotherhood. He forces the pilot to contact his sister, President Harriet Franklin, demanding the release of ten Brotherhood members. The criminals' true motive shifts the crisis from ransom to a larger criminal scheme.

A squadron of F-22 Raptors tails the Starquest, trying to intercept the aircraft. One fighter is destroyed in a fuel-dump incident, increasing the danger and narrowing options for a safe interception. The air confrontation tightens as the plane streaks toward Washington.

The Starquest's autopilot malfunctions, sending the jet into a dangerous dive toward the city below. The crew fights to regain control before the craft hurtles into populated areas. The crisis grows as time runs out.

Willie, a hijacker, leads a push toward the cargo hold, but Vitale confronts him and kills Willie. In the same moment, another assault member shoots a flight attendant, mistakenly targeting her as the sky marshal. The chaos inside the cargo hold escalates quickly.

FBI SWAT teams drive toward the isolated cabin where the Franklin family is held, while in the White House Harriet Franklin orders activation of Kittyhawk, a satellite-based system to remotely control the aircraft. The dual actions set up a potential ground-to-air rescue or a forced descent. The crisis becomes a test of command and technology.

Harriet Franklin weighs a stark choice between protecting her own family and ensuring the safety of countless civilians below. She takes part in the decision-making that could force the Starquest into a controlled descent. The odds are grim, but decisive leadership is shown.

Robert triggers an explosion inside the cargo hold after being confronted by Vitale, tearing away a cargo door and severing a jet engine. The damaged Starquest accelerates toward Washington, complicating any attempt to regain control. The blast drives the crisis toward a tragic possibility of a crash.

The Sky Marshal is killed as Vitale and her team mobilize to retake control of the aircraft. A tense confrontation unfolds as the agents fight to wrest the Starquest back from the hijackers. The outcome of the battle will determine the fate of thousands on the ground.

Harriet firing a satellite-based laser destroys one of the trailing F-22s, buying crucial time for the Starquest. The move demonstrates the President's willingness to use advanced weaponry to save civilians. The plan still hinges on getting the plane under control.

With the Franklin family rescued, Harriet instructs Joseph Franklin to pilot Starquest to a controlled water landing on the Potomac River to avert civilian casualties. The desperate plan succeeds, ending the crisis.