Turbulence

Ryan Weaver is arrested in New York City after being accused of murder and rape. Lieutenant Aldo Hines breaks protocol during the arrest, highlighting a tense pursuit. Despite Weaver's claims of innocence, authorities secure enough evidence to extradite him to Los Angeles to stand trial.

Weaver and fellow prisoner Stubbs, escorted by four U.S. marshals, board a TransContinental Airlines 747. The Christmas Eve flight is nearly empty, with only eleven passengers aboard. The guards prepare for the long transfer as the plane takes off.

During the flight, Stubbs breaks free from custody in the bathroom and begins a shootout with the marshals. Gunfire erupts and chaos spreads through the cabin as passengers huddle in fear. The violent breakout sets off a deadly chain of events aboard the jet.

A stray bullet punctures a hole in the fuselage, causing explosive decompression. The crew quickly seals the hole with a briefcase, but the damage destabilizes the plane. Passengers brace for the worsening emergency as alarms sound.

With the flight crew overwhelmed, Weaver moves to seize control of the aircraft. The captain is fatally shot and the first officer knocked out, leaving the crew severely diminished. Weaver's actions escalate the crisis as the plane spirals toward disaster.

Flight attendant Teri Halloran reaches the cockpit and becomes the only crew member capable of keeping the jet steady. She learns she must guide the plane to a safe landing despite the dire situation. Her resolve marks a turning point in the crisis.

The co-pilot's fate is implied to have been murderously ended, complicating efforts to regain control. With the cockpit compromised, Teri must rely on improvised guidance to keep the craft airborne. The passengers' safety increasingly hinges on her actions.

The aircraft finally confronts a severe storm that threatens violent turbulence. The crew and passengers brace for further danger as they press on toward Los Angeles. The weather adds another layer of peril to an already fragile situation.

Weaver's paranoia intensifies as he locks passengers in the crew's cabin and brutally attacks Maggie, a flight attendant, killing her. He escalates his threat by dialing the FBI control center to taunt authorities. The situation devolves into a violent battle for control aboard the jet.

Weaver contacts Hines at the FBI control center and threatens to crash the 747 into their facility. The stakes rise as the flight to safety hangs on a fragile balance between violence and restraint. Teri fights to keep the plane on a safe course despite the threat.

Weaver breaches the avionics bay and smashes the server running the primary autopilot, forcing the first landing attempt to fail. The jet narrowly misses obstacles during a go-around, including a rooftop restaurant and a parking structure. The backup autopilot is eventually engaged to mend the approach.

An Air Force F-14 Tomcat is scrambled to intercept the wayward 747. The plane skims a rooftop Japanese restaurant and a multi-story parking garage as it struggles to regain control. The interceptor adds pressure to land safely without a catastrophic crash.

Weaver breaks into the cockpit with an axe and menaces Teri in a final bid to derail landing. The F-14's intervention wrecks the truck the plane's gear had snagged, creating a brief window for action. Teri loads a single bullet into her .38 revolver and shoots Weaver through the head, killing him.

With radio guidance, Teri regains control and lands the 747 at Los Angeles International Airport using the autopilot for support. She executes a careful final approach as rescuers move in. The flight ends with the aircraft safely on the runway and the passengers alive.

Emergency crews clear the scene and confirm that all crew and passengers survive. Teri's decisive actions are credited with averting a catastrophe. Weaver's claims that he killed them all are clearly refuted by the outcome of the rescue.