''Panic in the Skies!'' is a 1996 American made-for television

disaster film A disaster film or disaster movie is a film genre that has an impending or ongoing disaster as its subject and primary plot device. Such disasters may include natural disasters, accidents, offensive (military), military/terrorism, terrorist att ...

that is directed by Paul Ziller and was premiered on The Family Channel on October 13, 1996. The film stars

Kate Jackson Lucy Kate Jackson (born October 29, 1948), known professionally as Kate Jackson, is an American actress and television producer, known for her television roles as Sabrina Duncan in the series ''Charlie's Angels'' (1976–1979) and Amanda King i ...

Ed Marinaro Ed Marinaro (born March 31, 1950) is an American actor and former professional football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for the Minnesota Vikings. He played college football for the Cornell Big Red, where he was a u ...

and

Erik Estrada Henry Enrique Estrada (born March 16, 1949) is an American actor. He is known for his co-starring lead role as California Highway Patrol officer Francis (Frank) Llewelyn "Ponch" Poncherello in the police drama television series '' CHiPs'', which ...

Plot

During take-off for a flight to Europe, Royce Air International Flight 115 (a

Boeing 747-200 The Boeing 747 is a long-range wide-body airliner designed and manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes in the United States between 1968 and 2023. After the introduction of the 707 in October 1958, Pan Am wanted a jet times its size, ...

flying from New York to London) is struck by lightning. Although the flight continues, the lightning strike has killed the flight crew and disabled the radio communications to the ground. Laurie Ann Pickett, the senior

flight attendant A flight attendant is a member of the aircrew whose primary responsibility is ensure the safety of passengers in the cabin of an aircraft across all stages of flight. Their secondary duty is to see to the comfort of passengers. Flight attenda ...

, enlists the aid of passenger Brett Young, and together, they determine that the autopilot can bring the aircraft in for a landing. The autopilot that they rely on, begins to malfunction, homing in on airfield transponders at random, even airports that are too small to accommodate the large jet-liner. Both Laurie and Brett realize they may have to find a way to land the aircraft by themselves. Veering to a completely new heading, the airliner turns from its flightpath over the Atlantic Ocean to fly to the Pacific Coast of North America. A small sub-plot, though not relevant to the malfunctioning autopilot, is a rottweiler that broke free in the cargo hold and becomes a small menace to the passengers. The dog is eventually befriended and calmed down, as it was only aggravated due to stress. On the ground, FAA Air Traffic Control officials who have lost radio contact with the 747, start a debate as to when the aircraft should be shot down to prevent a more disastrous crash in a heavily populated area. Tensions begin to come to a head on board the stricken airliner, with a landing at

Vancouver Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...

, British Columbia, becoming their only option.

Cast

as Laurie Ann Pickett *

as Brett Young *

as Ethan Walker *

Maureen McCormick Maureen Denise McCormick (born August 5, 1956) is an American actress, best known for her role as Characters of The Brady Bunch#Marcia Brady, Marcia Brady on the American Broadcasting Company, ABC television sitcom ''The Brady Bunch'' (1969–1 ...

as Flight Attendant * Billy Warlock as F.A. Matt Eisenhauer *

Robert Guillaume Robert Guillaume (born Robert Peter Williams; November 30, 1927 – October 24, 2017) was an American actor and singer. He played Fishbone on television series " Good Times", Benson DuBois in the ABC television series ''Soap'' and its spin-o ...

as Rob Barnes * Marilyn Norry as Donna Preston * Howard Dell as Charles Buckman (credited as Howard G.H. Dell) * Robert Maloney as passenger *

Brandy Ledford Brandy Lee Ledford (born February 4, 1969) is an American actress, model and '' Penthouse'' magazine's 1992 "Pet of the Year". She played the role of Desiree on '' Modern Family,'' starred as Dawn Masterton on '' Baywatch Hawaii'', and as Doyl ...

as F.A. Charlene Davis * Kehli O'Byrne as Tukey, Walker's Assistant * Michael Buie as Darryl (credited as Mike Buie) * Ken Camroux as Derek Green * Marc Baur as Ed Handler * Brett Stone as Lydia Chambers * Michael Gelbart as Joel Rose

Production

Principal photography on ''Panic in the Skies'' took place in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Reception

While not reviewed by critics in mainstream media, ''Panic in the Skies'' did garner some interest from internet bloggers and other film critics. Film reviewer Sergio Ortega noted the "unfortunately bad movie ...", was filled with continuity and "unbelievable" aerial errors on the Boeing 747. A contemporary review in ''The Vindicator'', however, found the premise was not "so far-fetched". The French website Mediafilm noted, "A film gathering all the clichés of the genre. Unconvincing direction. Routine acting."

References

External links

* 1996 television films 1996 films ABC Family original films American aviation films Disaster television films 1990s disaster films Films set on airplanes Films about aviation accidents or incidents MTM Enterprises films Films directed by Paul Ziller 1990s American films {{US-tv-film-stub