Trouble in the Sky (1960)
"Cone of Silence" (original title)

A seasoned pilot is condemned for an error which causes a crash. The pilot later dies in a crash with similar circumstances and an examiner looks for scientific reasons for the crashes.

Director:

Charles Frend

Writers:

David Beaty (novel), Robert Westerby,

Stars:

Michael Craig, Peter Cushing, Bernard Lee

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Michael Craig	...	Capt. Hugh Dallas
Peter Cushing	...	Capt. Clive Judd
Bernard Lee	...	Capt. George Gort
Elizabeth Seal	...	Charlotte Gort
George Sanders	...	Sir Arnold Hobbes
André Morell	...	Capt. Edward Manningham
Gordon Jackson	...	Capt. Jock Bateson
Charles 'Bud' Tingwell	...	Capt. Braddock (as Charles Tingwell)
Noel Willman	...	Nigel Pickering
Delphi Lawrence	...	Joyce Mitchell
Marne Maitland	...	Mr. Robinson
William Abney	...	First Officer
Jack Hedley	...	First Officer
Simon Lack	...	Navigator
Hedger Wallace	...	Navigator

Storyline

A seasoned pilot is condemned for an error which causes a crash. The pilot later dies in a crash with similar circumstances and an examiner looks for scientific reasons for the crashes.

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Plot Keywords:

airplane crash | based on novel

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

May 1960 (UK)

Also Known As:

Trouble in the Sky

Filming Locations:

Filton Airfield, Bristol, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Aubrey Baring Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

88 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The aircraft featured in the film is an Avro Ashton 3. It was built as a research aircraft and at the time if filming was being employed by Bristol Siddeley Engines (now Rolls Royce)in engine testing.

User Reviews

Forgotten airborne drama

This is quite a good movie with a cast of familiar faces (Peter Cushing, George Sanders, Gordon Jackson). The screenplay is based on David Beaty's novel which was inspired by actual events. In October 1952 one of BOAC's new Comet jetliners crashed at Rome Airport. The accident was due to a design error that allowed the pilot to raise the nose too high on take off and stall the airplane on the ground. The pilot was blamed for the crash and relegated to flying piston engined freighters. The following year another Comet, on a delivery flight to Canadian Pacific Airlines crashed on taking off from Karachi, Pakistan in identical circumstances. Following this accident, design modifications were made to the Comet to prevent further similar incidents.

The movie follows this scenario quite closely, except that Captain Gort, the pilot blamed for the crash (played by Bernard Lee), continues to fly the fictional "Phoenix" jets and subsequently dies in an identical accident. It is left to the Airline's initially sceptical training Captain (Michael Craig) and Captain Gort's daughter (Elizabeth Seal) to clear her father's name and get the airplane modified in the nick of time to prevent a third crash.

Although made on a smallish budget and with some model shots that look a little shaky today, this is a cut above the typical Hollywood airborne disaster epic. Little seen today, especially in it's original 'scope ratio, this deserves more recognition.