越战期间，巴洛克上校及数名弟兄在执行一项任务时失败，成为越共的俘虏，美国政府对于这些人以“失踪美军”的名义视之。在战俘营里，越共首领杨上校不断以残暴的手段虐待战俘，违反了日内瓦公约，又逼迫巴洛克签下文件承认对越南侵略的罪行，他受尽迫害也不愿屈服。眼看着弟兄一个个被杀掉，他决心反击，经历了九死一生才逃出战俘营。
"Miss, what's that?" the kid asked the stewardess, pointing to a small crack that he noticed in celing above him. At that point, the crack widens and the entire roof of the airplane is ripped off. Based on a true story. On April 28, 1988, Aloha Airlines flight 243, halfway between Big Island and Maui, suddenly lost an 18-foot section of its front fuselage, due to metal fatigue. At 24,000 feet of altitude, the sudden decompression leaves room for panic in the cabin. But in the flight deck, Captain Schornstheimer and First Officer Tompkins are faced with the difficult task of safely landing the crippled, barely-controllable airliner, as the title says.
