Airspeed

Nicole argues with her parents about her school performance, while she feels neglected by them. The parents see her grades as a source of concern, while she feels ignored in the wealth and control around them. This setup establishes the emotional stakes that drive her actions during the crisis.

Nicole is aboard her father's private jet as the flight begins, and the tension with her parents lingers in the cabin. The crisis that follows will force her into a leadership role she never anticipated.

A lightning strike tears a hole in the cabin wall, instantly endangering everyone on board. The two pilots, Greg and Terry, are knocked unconscious by the electric shock.

Two adult passengers are injured by a large, unsecured flying first aid kit that becomes a hazard in the turbulence. Nicole had been handling the kit and regains consciousness wearing an oxygen mask with its bottle.

The autopilot engages but is defective and cannot be deactivated, leaving Nicole to confront the danger with only the remaining passengers and a compromised aircraft. This forces her to improvise from the cockpit.

Nicole attempts to contact air traffic controller Jeff in the tower via radio; when that fails, she switches to a cell phone to stay connected. The communications become a lifeline as the situation deteriorates.

A tanker aircraft is dispatched to reach them, but turbulence makes the approach unsafe and the rescue attempt fails.

Jeff proposes that the tanker fly under the private jet so Nicole can pull the unconscious adults down to the hatch at the front wheel. She manages to lower three of the four passengers to safety.

Turbulence causes the connecting cable to snap and the man helping with the lifeline is torn from the plane, though he survives using a parachute. The danger intensifies as one more passenger remains unconscious aboard.

With the fourth adult still unconscious aboard, Nicole has no choice but to attempt landing the plane herself. The situation demands she take control to guide the jet to safety.

Nicole deactivates the autopilot by striking it with her father's favorite baseball bat, gaining manual control for the approach. She now pilots the final descent with tense focus.

Under Jeff's guidance, Nicole completes the landing despite her cell phone battery dying during the approach. She manages to bring the private jet down safely.