The film begins with Operation Eagle Claw, a daring mission aimed at saving American hostages held at the U.S. embassy in Tehran. As this critical operation unfolds, it abruptly halts following a catastrophic helicopter crash. Among the elite soldiers, Major Scott McCoy (Chuck Norris), defying orders, bravely saves his injured comrade Pete Peterson (William Wallace) from the flames of the wrecked aircraft before the team makes a hasty retreat to their C-130 transports. Frustrated by the political and military command decisions that put lives at risk, McCoy resigns his commission, vowing to leave the chaos behind.
Fast forward five years, a group of Lebanese terrorists, armed with a Colt M1911, PM-63 machine pistol, and AK-47 rifles, seizes control of American Travelways Flight 282, which is en route from Cairo to Athens and ultimately to New York City. The terrorists, part of the pro-Khomeini New World Revolutionary Organization, are led by Abdul Rifi (Robert Forster) and Mustafa (David Menachem). They force Captain Roger Campbell (Bo Svenson) and his crew into compliance, directing the aircraft to Beirut, Lebanon, while making several demands to the U.S. government, which threaten the lives of the hostages.
During this tense crisis, the terrorists target Israeli passengers, pressuring the flight attendant to identify them, though she hesitates due to her German background. The plane makes a stop in Algiers for refueling, where the terrorists reinforce their numbers by adding a dozen henchmen and releasing female and child hostages. Meanwhile, Delta Force, led by Colonel Nick Alexander (Lee Marvin) and McCoy, prepares to launch a rescue operation. After evacuating the female hostages, they initiate their assault but are caught off guard by the presence of additional hijackers, leading to dire consequences as one hostage is executed.
As the terrorists relocate the surviving hostages to a militant-controlled area in Beirut, Delta Force remains vigilant, gathering intelligence on the whereabouts of the captives. Collaborating with a supportive Greek Orthodox priest, they devise a strategy to organize a rescue operation. After considerable planning and reconnaissance, Delta Force finally locates the hostages and engages the terrorists in a fierce battle to free them.
In the heat of the fight, McCoy, alongside Peterson and the Delta team, pursues Abdul and his associates, dispatching most of the militants before tragedy strikes—Abdul shoots Peterson, leaving him severely injured. In a gripping climax, McCoy tracks Abdul to an abandoned house, where they engage in a brutal hand-to-hand combat, culminating in McCoy overpowering Abdul and ultimately ending his life with a well-aimed rocket shot.
With the hostages finally liberated, Delta Force orchestrates a stealthy operation to reclaim Flight 282. As they infiltrate the airfield undetected, the team uses their tactical skills to eliminate the remaining terrorist guards and safely extracts the crew, instructing them to fly towards Israel. Against a backdrop of chaos, McCoy attributes destruction to multiple enemy vehicles on the runway before being the last to board the plane.
As they soar back to safety, the Delta commandos and the liberated passengers unite to perform a heartfelt rendition of "America the Beautiful," oblivious to the grim reality of their ordeal. But in the shadows of celebration, Pete—fading fast from his wounds—shares a final moment with McCoy and bids him farewell. Upon landing in Israel, the team is greeted warmly by families, while they carry with them the somber weight of Pete's sacrifice. Having concluded their mission, Delta Force returns to the United States amidst the jubilation of a grateful nation.
