The High and the Mighty

In Honolulu, a DC-4 prepares to take off for San Francisco with 17 passengers and a crew of 5. Former captain Dan Roman wrestles with the memory of a deadly crash that left him with a permanent limp, while Captain John Sullivan hides a fear of taking responsibility. The stage is set with a mix of personal backstories and unresolved anxieties among the crew.

Flight attendant Spalding meets the passengers as personal problems surface: May Holst, Lydia Rice, Sally McKee, and Ed Joseph. Spalding grows fond of terminally ill Frank Briscoe, charmed by his pocket watch. A last-minute arrival, Humphrey Agnew, raises the crew's concerns just before departure.

After a routine departure, the flight experiences sporadic vibrations that worry the crew. They suspect a propeller or mechanical issue but cannot locate a fault. Spalding burns her hand on a hot surface while Dan inspects the tail compartment and finds nothing wrong, leaving the problem unresolved.

As night falls, Agnew confronts Ken Childs about an affair, and a struggle erupts. Before a gun can be fired, the airliner swerves violently when it loses a propeller and the engine catches fire, but the crew quickly extinguishes the blaze. The damaged engine is twisted off its mounting, forcing the crew to manage a dire in-flight emergency.

With the fire under control, the airliner radios for help as fuel begins to run low due to additional wing-tank damage. Dan explains the gravity of the situation and warns that their odds of reaching land are slim, a little one in a thousand. Adverse winds and increased drag from the damaged engine tighten the noose around their remaining fuel.

José Locota disarms Agnew and calms the frightened passengers. Gustave Pardee, who has feared flying, helps steady the cabin as Dan reassures everyone. The passengers physically lighten the load by tossing luggage overboard, and May Holst even parts with her mink coat to reduce weight.

In San Francisco's airline operations center, Tim Garfield regards the odds with little optimism but notes a potential wind shift that could help. Wilby reveals an elementary navigation error, meaning their remaining flight time is even more constrained than thought. Hope fluctuates as fuel margins remain perilously tight.

Dan argues that landing on land is preferable to a risky ditch at sea, urging calm and calculated resolve. Sullivan panics and begins to prepare for a ditch, but Dan's intervention steadies him, and they commit to pushing toward the coast rather than giving up.

The airliner skirts a rain-swept night as they descend toward the coast at a perilously low altitude. The crew executes an emergency instrument approach, fighting through weather and terrain to align with the runway lights. The moment tests their nerve as they near a dangerous landing window.

The DC-4 breaks through the clouds and clears the hills to land at San Francisco, with only about 30 gallons of fuel remaining. The passengers disembark in relief and disbelief as crew members inspect the damaged engine. Dan acknowledges the gamble they took, limping and whistling as he walks away from the plane.

Tim Garfield observes the aftermath from the operations center as reporters swarm the arriving passengers. The crew's ordeal becomes a human-interest story, highlighting the changed perspectives of those who survived the crisis. The focus shifts from technical rescue to the emotional resilience of the travelers.

Dan Roman, still marked by past tragedy, limps away from the scene while continuing to whistle into the night. Garfield mutters a final line about the ancient pelican as the city quiets down, signaling the end of the ordeal and the beginning of a new chapter for the survivors.