Miracle Landing
Encyclopedia
Miracle Landing is a 1990 television film based on an in-flight accident aboard Aloha Airlines Flight 243
that occurred in April 1988. The Boeing 737-200
was flying from Hilo, Hawaii to Honolulu, Hawaii
, when it experienced rapid decompression when a section of the fuselage was torn away. With one person blown from the cabin and dozens injured, the aircraft was able to make a successful emergency landing
at Kahului Airport
, on Maui
. The film aired on the US television network
, CBS
in early 1990 and has since been shown on networks throughout the world in syndication.
The story follows three crew members.
Paradise Airlines Flight 243 is an inter-island flight from Honolulu to Hilo, with a return to Honolulu the same day. The characters are developed during several scenes set during the layover, and passengers are introduced to the audience during check-in scenes.
The flight then takes off over Hilo, and soon beverage service begins. During that time nothing out of the ordinary occurs, but soon after David - a young boy travelling with his mother - calls the lead flight attendant, C.B. and asks her about the crack appearing in the ceiling. At that moment, chaos breaks loose and the entire front and top half section of the plane apart from the cockpit and cargo hold, blows off in a clean cut. In the mess, Michelle falls to the floor and clings to a passenger's seat, C.B. is blown from the aircraft, and passengers are badly injured from debris and decompression. The third flight attendant Jane sustains serious head injuries, is thrown to the ground and clings to life and to other passengers to avoid the same fate as C.B. The cockpit is unaware of the full scale of the disaster and believe a bomb or decompression has occurred. Soon passengers seated in the section that wasn't swept away have oxygen masks fall but it is useless as all the lines were destroyed. But the plane was at a low altitude thus it hadn't affected them as badly. Mimi and Bob contact Kahului Airport for an emergency deceleration.
Soon, the pilots are faced with the fact they may crash and passengers may die, and both Mimi and Bob have flashbacks to her training days and his Air Force, respectively. Michelle has a flashback to walking the shoreline with her father who as a soldier in the Army, has died. Jane's injuries worsen and Michelle struggles to climb to her and help her. Later, she also feels she might lose it from the chaos and picks up the call phone only to find it dead. Dorothy leans out of the plane and appears to have a state of shock before George notices and pulls her back in the plane. Michelle then begins to instruct the passengers on a possible crash landing or water landing and passes out life jackets. Gail becomes hysterical when she cannot get a life jacket for David, but soon is calmed by Michelle. Roy panics when he sees hydraulic fluid leaking from the wings. The tower alerts Kahului Fire and Rescue personnel and they arrive before the crippled jet lands. Finally after several tense minutes, Mimi and Bob are able to figure out a plan for the emergency.
After some time, the plane lands but with difficulties in the brakes to the vessel and hydraulics. The pilots were worried that the landing might result in a broken plane and fire, but miraculously their landing resulted in no deaths and the emergency notification allowed crews to treat and evacuate passengers immediately.
Aloha Airlines Flight 243
Aloha Airlines Flight 243 was a scheduled Aloha Airlines flight between Hilo and Honolulu in Hawaii. On April 28, 1988, a Boeing 737-200 serving the flight suffered extensive damage after an explosive decompression in flight, but was able to land safely at Kahului Airport on Maui. The only...
that occurred in April 1988. The Boeing 737-200
Boeing 737
The Boeing 737 is a short- to medium-range, twin-engine narrow-body jet airliner. Originally developed as a shorter, lower-cost twin-engine airliner derived from Boeing's 707 and 727, the 737 has developed into a family of nine passenger models with a capacity of 85 to 215 passengers...
was flying from Hilo, Hawaii to Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii. Honolulu is the southernmost major U.S. city. Although the name "Honolulu" refers to the urban area on the southeastern shore of the island of Oahu, the city and county government are consolidated as the City and...
, when it experienced rapid decompression when a section of the fuselage was torn away. With one person blown from the cabin and dozens injured, the aircraft was able to make a successful emergency landing
Emergency landing
An emergency landing is a landing made by an aircraft in response to a crisis which either interferes with the operation of the aircraft or involves sudden medical emergencies necessitating diversion to the nearest airport.-Types of emergency landings:...
at Kahului Airport
Kahului Airport
Kahului Airport is a regional airport in the state of Hawai'i, located east of the Kahului CDP in Maui County on the island of Maui near Haleakala. Most flights into OGG originate from Honolulu International Airport; the Honolulu–Kahului corridor is one of the busiest air routes in the US,...
, on Maui
Maui
The island of Maui is the second-largest of the Hawaiian Islands at and is the 17th largest island in the United States. Maui is part of the state of Hawaii and is the largest of Maui County's four islands, bigger than Lānai, Kahoolawe, and Molokai. In 2010, Maui had a population of 144,444,...
. The film aired on the US television network
Television network
A television network is a telecommunications network for distribution of television program content, whereby a central operation provides programming to many television stations or pay TV providers. Until the mid-1980s, television programming in most countries of the world was dominated by a small...
, CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
in early 1990 and has since been shown on networks throughout the world in syndication.
Plot
The story begins in February 1988, in a flight simulator with two pilots facing the challenge of landing a crippled jet that experiences a cabin decompression, an engine fire and a loss of hydraulics. The three emergency situations foreshadow the events of Paradise Airlines 243, taking place two months later.The story follows three crew members.
- Madeleine "Mimi" Tompkins, a First Officer pilot for Paradise Airlines, who has been selected for training to become a full Captain in the airline, having been the first female pilot to be hired by Paradise in 1979.
- Captain Robert "Bob" Schornstheimer, introduced relaxing on his private boat with his wife.
- Flight attendant Michelle Honda, shown with her young daughter of whom she paints a portrait wearing traditional Hawaiian costume.
Paradise Airlines Flight 243 is an inter-island flight from Honolulu to Hilo, with a return to Honolulu the same day. The characters are developed during several scenes set during the layover, and passengers are introduced to the audience during check-in scenes.
The flight then takes off over Hilo, and soon beverage service begins. During that time nothing out of the ordinary occurs, but soon after David - a young boy travelling with his mother - calls the lead flight attendant, C.B. and asks her about the crack appearing in the ceiling. At that moment, chaos breaks loose and the entire front and top half section of the plane apart from the cockpit and cargo hold, blows off in a clean cut. In the mess, Michelle falls to the floor and clings to a passenger's seat, C.B. is blown from the aircraft, and passengers are badly injured from debris and decompression. The third flight attendant Jane sustains serious head injuries, is thrown to the ground and clings to life and to other passengers to avoid the same fate as C.B. The cockpit is unaware of the full scale of the disaster and believe a bomb or decompression has occurred. Soon passengers seated in the section that wasn't swept away have oxygen masks fall but it is useless as all the lines were destroyed. But the plane was at a low altitude thus it hadn't affected them as badly. Mimi and Bob contact Kahului Airport for an emergency deceleration.
Soon, the pilots are faced with the fact they may crash and passengers may die, and both Mimi and Bob have flashbacks to her training days and his Air Force, respectively. Michelle has a flashback to walking the shoreline with her father who as a soldier in the Army, has died. Jane's injuries worsen and Michelle struggles to climb to her and help her. Later, she also feels she might lose it from the chaos and picks up the call phone only to find it dead. Dorothy leans out of the plane and appears to have a state of shock before George notices and pulls her back in the plane. Michelle then begins to instruct the passengers on a possible crash landing or water landing and passes out life jackets. Gail becomes hysterical when she cannot get a life jacket for David, but soon is calmed by Michelle. Roy panics when he sees hydraulic fluid leaking from the wings. The tower alerts Kahului Fire and Rescue personnel and they arrive before the crippled jet lands. Finally after several tense minutes, Mimi and Bob are able to figure out a plan for the emergency.
After some time, the plane lands but with difficulties in the brakes to the vessel and hydraulics. The pilots were worried that the landing might result in a broken plane and fire, but miraculously their landing resulted in no deaths and the emergency notification allowed crews to treat and evacuate passengers immediately.
Cast
- Connie SelleccaConnie SelleccaConnie Sellecca is an American actress and former model, primarily known for her roles on television.- Early life :She was born Concetta Sellecchia in The Bronx, New York, New York to Italian parents. At age twelve, she moved to Pomona, New York and attended Pomona Junior High School...
— Madeleine "Mimi" TompkinsMadeline TompkinsMadeline "Mimi" Tompkins is an airline pilot who gained international fame on April 28, 1988, as the First Officer on Aloha Airlines Flight 243, which landed safely after an explosive decompression in flight....
(First Officer) - Wayne RogersWayne RogersWilliam Wayne McMillan Rogers III is an American film and television actor, best known for playing the role of 'Trapper John' McIntyre in the U.S...
— Robert "Bob" Schornstheimer (Captain) - Ana AliciaAna AliciaAna Alicia is an American actress. She is best known for her role as scheming heiress Melissa Agretti on the long-running primetime soap opera Falcon Crest.-Early life:...
— Michelle Honda (Flight Attendant) - Patty Toy — Jane Sato-Tomita (Flight Attendant)
- Nancy KwanNancy KwanNancy "Ka Shen" Kwan is a Eurasian-American actress, who played a pivotal role in the acceptance of actors of Asian descent in major Hollywood film roles...
— Clarabelle "C.B." Lansing (Chief Flight Attendant) - James CromwellJames CromwellJames Oliver Cromwell is an American film and television actor. Some of his more notable roles are in Babe , for which he earned Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor, Star Trek: First Contact , L.A...
— B.J. Cocker - Jay ThomasJay ThomasJay Thomas is an American actor, comedian and radio talk show host.-Personal life:Thomas was born in Kermit, Texas. He was raised in his Italian American mother's Roman Catholic faith, although his father was Protestant....
— Ed Meyer (Maui Tower Supervisor) - Armin ShimermanArmin ShimermanArmin Shimerman is an American actor. Shimerman is best known for playing the Ferengi bartender Quark in the television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Principal Snyder in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Kramer's caddy Stan on Seinfeld, voicing Dr. Nefarious in the Ratchet & Clank series, and Andrew...
— Rick (Maui Tower Controller) - Shantel Cropper — Young Michelle