Blackout Effect (1998)

There has been a mid-air collision involving a passenger jet and a cargo flight, killing everyone aboard the two planes. The NTSB investigator in charge, whose girlfriend died in the crash,... See full summary »

Director:

Jeff Bleckner

Writer:

Matthew Bombeck

Stars:

Eric Stoltz, Charles Martin Smith, Denis Arndt

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Eric Stoltz	...	John Dantley
Charles Martin Smith	...	Henry Drake
Denis Arndt	...	Frank Wyatt
Leslie Hope	...	Karen
Lorraine Toussaint	...	Kim Garfield
Andy Comeau	...	Tim Connors
Tucker Smallwood	...	Harold
Joe Guzaldo	...	Dan Lafia
Jeff Williams	...	Paul Roth
Nancy Hower	...	Lori
Michael Mantell	...	Stephen Royer
Jeff Allin	...	William Kennedy
Alexandra Hedison	...	Catherine Parmel
Joel McKinnon Miller	...	Brian Mack
Jack Stehlin	...	Jim Travis

Storyline

There has been a mid-air collision involving a passenger jet and a cargo flight, killing everyone aboard the two planes. The NTSB investigator in charge, whose girlfriend died in the crash, is puzzled. On one side, the air traffic controller claims he lost radar contact with the cargo plane shortly before impact, when his screen "blacked out." On the other side, everyone else, including the controller's bosses and the media, put the blame on human error. The truth is soon to be uncovered, as the aging air traffic control facilities are on the verge of failing right in the middle of the busy Thanksgiving season.

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Plot Keywords:

mid air | air traffic controller | airplane accident | aviation

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Genres:

Drama | Thriller

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

NBC Official Web Site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

4 January 1998 (USA)

Also Known As:

Blackout

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Citadel Entertainment, First Street Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

On take-off, the order of the different speeds should be V1, VR ("rotate") and V2. The co-pilot says instead "V1, V2, Rotate".

User Reviews

Not a bad movie, just bad critics.

I have seen this movie several times, and think that it is one of the better TV movies out there. No, it's not the best, but it has a good story line that flows quite well. Some things, as stated in a previous review, may not be totally accurate, but pretty much anyone smart enough to notice those technical mistakes should know that made for TV movies don't have a large enough budget to get every little detail correct. I have to say that this is a movie worth watching.