 A passenger airplane is involved in a mid-air collision shortly after takeoff. The damage forces it to continue to climb higher and higher, which computer simulations indicate will rip the plane in two. While trying to get the plane safely back on the ground, the captain on the flight must deal with the airline inspector (who holds a grudge from a previous encounters), his feelings for the co-pilot (his girlfriend), and the manufacturer of the plane (whose recommendations for action are not ethically motivated).