No Way Up (2024) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

The Vista Airlines flight crashed after colliding with a flock of birds mid-flight. The bird strike caused catastrophic engine failure, rendering the aircraft uncontrollable and forcing it down into the Pacific Ocean. Both pilots were killed in the crash along with several passengers.

Foreshadowing: Earlier in the flight, there was no indication of any mechanical issues or warnings about bird activity.

• bird strike
• plane crash
• Vista Airlines
• pilot death
• engine failure

Brandon, Ava's bodyguard, attempted to retrieve an oxygen tank from the front of the submerged plane to help the survivors. While inside the wreckage, he encountered a tiger shark that had entered the fuselage. Despite fighting to escape, the shark ultimately dragged him underwater and killed him.

Foreshadowing: The survivors had already discussed the danger of sharks in the water, but Brandon chose to risk the journey anyway.

• Brandon
• tiger shark
• oxygen tank
• bodyguard
• shark attack

A rescue helicopter spotted debris and dispatched two divers to investigate the wreckage. When they approached the plane, the same tiger shark that had already killed Brandon attacked them. One diver was violently pulled away by the shark while the second diver disappeared into the darkness, both dying before they could save anyone.

Foreshadowing: The survivors saw the divers approaching and desperately tried to warn them about the shark.

• rescue divers
• helicopter
• shark attack
• failed rescue
• Pacific Ocean

Jed, Ava's boyfriend, was attacked by the tiger shark while the survivors were searching for the missing diver. The shark bit off his leg below the knee in a brutal attack. He quickly went into shock from the severe injury and died shortly after, leaving the group in mourning.

Foreshadowing: Rosa had earlier suggested using air bubbles to deter sharks, but the shark still found opportunities to attack.

• Jed
• shark bite
• leg amputation
• shock
• Ava's boyfriend

Kyle sacrificed himself during the final escape attempt. As the survivors were swimming through the wreckage toward the surface, the shark attacked once more. Kyle took a final breath of air and allowed himself to be dragged back by the shark so that Ava and the others could continue to the surface and escape.

Foreshadowing: Kyle had revealed his crippling fear of deep water earlier, making his ultimate sacrifice even more significant.

• Kyle
• shark sacrifice
• final escape
• deep water fear
• Will Attenborough

Nana, Rosa's grandmother, stayed behind in the damaged cockpit as it broke away from the main fuselage. She instructed Ava to take care of Rosa and told her not to wait, essentially sacrificing her own chance to escape so the others could get out. The cockpit then plunged into the dark abyss below.

Foreshadowing: Nana's background as a former army nurse and her resourcefulness in treating Kyle's injury established her selfless character.

• Nana
• Mardy
• Rosa's grandmother
• cockpit sacrifice
• army nurse

Ava survived through a combination of quick thinking and luck. She used air bubbles from her inflatable life vest to confuse and deter the shark during the final escape. She also found a bag of scuba gear and retrieved oxygen tanks from the missing diver to aid her ascent. When the shark directly approached her near the surface, she managed to evade it and swim to the surface just as the wreckage sank.

Foreshadowing: Rosa had earlier noted that sharks are deterred by air bubbles, which Ava later used to her advantage.

• Ava
• shark survival
• oxygen tank
• bubbles
• scuba gear
• escape

The survivors decided to abandon the aircraft after calculating they had only 3-4 hours of breathable air left and realizing the fuselage was collapsing. Rosa suggested using air bubbles from their inflatable life vests to create a protective barrier against sharks. They scavenged for scuba gear, and Ava found a hidden bag of diving equipment. Kyle overcame his fear of deep water, and the group swam through the damaged fuselage toward an exit, with Ava using bubbles to temporarily distract the shark.

Foreshadowing: The fuselage had already begun sliding down a rocky incline toward an abyss, making escape necessary.

• escape plan
• scuba gear
• life vests
• bubbles
• fuselage
• swim to surface

At the end of No Way Up, three survivors were rescued: Ava, Danilo (the flight attendant), and Rosa. The rescue helicopter found them and pulled them from the ocean. Unfortunately, Jed, Kyle, Brandon, and Nana all died during the ordeal.

Foreshadowing: The intense shark attacks and the structural collapse of the plane made survival uncertain for everyone.

• survivors
• rescue
• final survivors
• Danilo
• Rosa
• Ava
• death toll

Kyle revealed that he had a crippling fear of deep water stemming from a childhood experience. Although the specific incident was not detailed in the summary, this fear made his decision to attempt the escape swim even more courageous, and his eventual sacrifice more heroic.

Foreshadowing: His fear was mentioned right when the group needed to plan their escape to the surface.

• Kyle
• fear of water
• childhood trauma
• deep water
• phobia