Falling from the Sky: Flight 174 (1995)

True story of a brand-new Canadian airliner running out of fuel in-flight and forced to glide to the nearest airfield.

Director:

Jorge Montesi

Writers:

William Hoffer (book), Marilyn Hoffer (book)

Stars:

William Devane, Scott Hylands, Shelley Hack

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
William Devane	...	Capt. Bob Pearson
Scott Hylands	...	Maurice Quintal
Shelley Hack	...	Lynn Brown
Kevin McNulty	...	Larry Roberts
Gwynyth Walsh	...	Pearl Dion
Gloria Carlin	...	Meg
Suzy Joachim	...	Florence Bisaillon
Nicholas Turturro	...	Al Williams
Winston Rekert	...	Rick Dion
Mariette Hartley	...	Beth Pearson
Philip Granger	...	Phil Lyons
Philip Maurice Hayes	...	Bob Rand (as Philip Hayes)
David Lewis	...	Frank Farr
Sheelah Megill	...	Mrs. Hebert
John Novak	...	Len Daniels

Storyline

It's the summer of 1982. Canada World Airways' brand-new Boeing 767 leaves Montreal bound for Edmonton. When the plane reaches its cruise altitude, the impossible happens: the plane runs out of fuel, due to a miscalculation by the ground staff in Montreal. Captain Bob Pearson and First Officer Maurice Quintal face a potentially deadly disaster in this true story, as the 767, with about 60 souls on board, slowly falls from the sky.

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Plot Keywords:

boeing 767 | disaster | montreal quebec | edmonton alberta | flight attendant | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

TV-14

Details

Country:

Canada USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 February 1995 (USA)

Also Known As:

Freefall: Flight 174

Filming Locations:

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hill/Fields Entertainment, Pacific Motion Pictures

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Based fairly closely on an actual incident on July 23, 1983, nicknamed the "Gimli Glider". The actual error made in fueling was in converting the fuel volume to weight; this is necessary because the density varies with temperature. The crew used the familiar density number in pounds per litre rather than the correct one for kilograms per litre.

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Goofs

While the Ram Air Turbine can be deployed manually, it will deploy automatically in the event of a double engine failure when the N2 (second stage compressor) RPM percentage on both engines drops below 47%.

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Quotes

Rick Dion: You don't want the oxygen masks popping out. It might panic the passengers.
Capt. Bob Pearson: "Might panic"? Heh. I'm surprised they're not back there knitting their own parachutes right now.

User Reviews

Freefalling!

This is a good movie for made-for-TV. A true story about Canada World Airways' Boeing 767 that runs out of fuel, due to a miscalculation by the ground staff in Montreal. The Captain Bob Pearson (William Devane) and First Officer Maurice Quintal (Scott Hylands) must think of something fast before the plane and its 60 passengers fall from the sky.

The acting is great, as each main character's live stories are depicted in the movie, as his/her own personal issues are worsened by the plane's untimely misfortune. The movie is fast pace, leaving little room for mundane scenes and plot lines that drag. We see a movie where people turn from despair to hope as they struggle to find their will to help each other to survive as their plane comes falling. Again, a great TV movie that is worth your time watching.

Grade A