Mayday at 40,000 Feet (1976): Cast & Plot
Mayday at 40,000 Feet is a 1976 action drama directed by Robert Butler, starring Christopher George as Stan Burkhart, Don Meredith and Margaret Blye. It runs 1 hour 33 minutes.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 33m (93 min)
- Director
- Robert Butler
- Original language
-
English - Studio
- Andrew J. Fenady Productions
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is Mayday at 40,000 Feet About?
The premise of Mayday at 40,000 Feet without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
On a passenger jet, a marshal escorting a convicted murderer suffers a heart attack, leaving the murderer free. He shoots the captain and disables the hydraulics, forcing the co‑pilot and flight engineer to battle a crippled aircraft and keep it aloft.
Mayday at 40,000 Feet Themes & Keywords
· 38 tags- salt lake city utah
- aviation
- flight
- passenger plane
- boeing
- boeing 727
- boeing 727 landing
- hospital
- weapon
- revolver
- death
- press conference
+26 more Show fewer
- 20th century
- hotel room
- commercial air travel
- marshal
- worrying
- surgery
- snow
- doctor
- co pilot
- pilot
- airport
- airplane
- chicago illinois
- hydraulic power
- breast cancer
- mayday
- bad weather
- alcoholic
- stewardess
- navigator
- prisoner transfer
- handcuffs
- disaster
- escaped prisoner
- blizzard
- based on novel
Mayday at 40,000 Feet Cast & Characters
Christopher George leads the cast as Stan Burkhart, with Don Meredith as Mike Fuller and Margaret Blye as Susan Mackenzie. Directed by Robert Butler; 30 actors are credited in all.
- Director Robert Butler
-
Christopher George as Stan Burkhart - Don Meredith as Mike Fuller
-
Margaret Blye as Susan Mackenzie -
Ray Milland as Dr. Joseph Mannheim
Also Starring in Mayday at 40,000 Feet
· 26 more- Marjoe Gortner Greco
- Broderick Crawford Marshal Riese
- Shani Wallis Terry Dunlap
- Lynda Day George Cathy Armello
- Tom Drake Harry Jensen
- Christopher Norris Cindy
- David Janssen Capt. Pete Douglass
- Jane Powell Kitty Douglass
- Philip Baker Hall Reporter
- William Bryant Kent
- John Pickard Wynberg
- Bert Williams Lars
- Buck Young Guard
- Warren Vanders Glen Meyer
- Bill Catching Dowling
- Steven Marlo Controller
Show all 30 cast members Show fewer cast members
- Hari Rhodes Belson
- James Chandler Doctor
- Gary McLarty Carmichael
- Kathleen Bracken Julia
- Alan Foster 3rd Reporter
- Norland Benson Jerry
- Al Molinaro Forenzo
- William Harlow 2nd Reporter
- Philip Mansour Surgeon
- Ralph Anderson Doctor (uncredited)
More from Robert Butler
More films directed by Robert Butler, best-rated first: The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes, The Barefoot Executive, Turbulence and White Mile.
Mayday at 40,000 Feet Plot Summary
What happens in Mayday at 40,000 Feet from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 11 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 3-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
During a brutal snowstorm, Transcon Airways Flight 602, a Boeing 727 en route from Los Angeles to New York with a planned stop in Salt Lake City, becomes a high-stakes test of nerves and skill. Captain Pete Douglas pilots the jet with a steady hand, accompanied by Stan Burkhart as first officer and Mike Fuller as second officer. On board, Burkhart’s girlfriend, Susan McKenzie, a nurse, travels alongside Dr. Joseph Mannheim, a disillusioned physician trying to drown his troubles with alcohol. Also aboard is Greco, a two-time killer in custody, guarded by Marshal Riese. The crew’s calm routine is strained further when Captain Douglas reveals a family emergency that weighs heavily on his mind as the plane descends toward its first stop.
Full summary
The whole story of Mayday at 40,000 Feet, scene by scene
How Well Do You Know Mayday at 40,000 Feet?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
What model of aircraft is featured in the film?
Cars in Mayday at 40,000 Feet
13 cars on screen, including the 1968 Chevrolet C-Series and the Walter CB 3000.
-
1968 Chevrolet C-Series Important role -
Walter CB 3000 Important role -
1970 Cadillac Ambulance Minor role -
1975 Chevrolet Bel Air Minor role
Mayday at 40,000 Feet Also Known As
5 alternative titles, including “SOS in den Wolken” and “Mayday w stratosferze”.
- Also known as
-
- SOS in den Wolken
- Mayday w stratosferze
- 空中惊魂
- S. O. S. a felhők között
- 40 000 футов
Seen Mayday at 40,000 Feet?
Movies Like Mayday at 40,000 Feet
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Mayday, Angel Flight Down and Hijacked: Flight 285.
Mayday at 40,000 Feet FAQ: Cast, Runtime & Release Date
Runtime, release date, director, cast and post-credit scenes of Mayday at 40,000 Feet, each answered in a sentence.
How long is Mayday at 40,000 Feet?
Mayday at 40,000 Feet runs 1 hour 33 minutes (93 minutes).
When was Mayday at 40,000 Feet released?
Mayday at 40,000 Feet was released on November 12, 1976.
Who directed Mayday at 40,000 Feet?
Mayday at 40,000 Feet was directed by Robert Butler.
More films by Robert Butler Who is in the cast of Mayday at 40,000 Feet?
Mayday at 40,000 Feet stars Christopher George as Stan Burkhart, Don Meredith as Mike Fuller and Margaret Blye as Susan Mackenzie, among 30 credited actors.
Does Mayday at 40,000 Feet have a post-credit scene?
No. Mayday at 40,000 Feet has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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