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Thriller

Panic in the Skies (1996): Cast & Plot

Panic in the Skies (1996) movie poster

Panic in the Skies is a 1996 thriller directed by Paul Ziller, starring Ed Marinaro as Brett Young, Maureen McCormick and Kate Jackson. It runs 1 hour 30 minutes.

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Panic in the Skies (1996) movie poster
Released
Runtime
1h 30m (90 min)
Director
Paul Ziller
Genre
Thriller
Original language
English
After the credits
No No extra scene
The story

What Is Panic in the Skies About?

The premise of Panic in the Skies without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.

After a lightning strike cripples the cockpit of a Boeing 747 on take‑off, the flight crew is killed. Senior flight attendant Laurie teams with passenger Brett Young to keep autopilot engaged, but it starts locking onto random airfield transponders, some too short for the jet. Ground officials, having lost radio contact, debate shooting the plane down to prevent a catastrophic crash in a populated area.

Panic in the Skies Themes & Keywords

· 3 tags
  • lightning
  • die hard scenario
  • airplane
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Cast & crew

Panic in the Skies Cast & Characters

Ed Marinaro leads the cast as Brett Young, with Maureen McCormick as Flight Attendant and Kate Jackson as Laurie Ann Pickett. Directed by Paul Ziller; 19 actors are credited in all.

Also Starring in Panic in the Skies

· 15 more
From the director

More from Paul Ziller

More films directed by Paul Ziller, best-rated first: Love in Store, Private Princess Christmas, Curious Caterer: Foiled Plans and Curious Caterer: Fatal Vows.

Full filmography
Plot

Panic in the Skies Plot Summary

What happens in Panic in the Skies from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 12 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 2-minute read.

Spoilers ahead

During take-off for a flight to Europe, Royce Air International Flight 115—a Boeing 747-200 bound from New York to London—is struck by lightning. The strike proves fatal to the flight crew and silences radio communications with the ground, leaving the passengers and remaining crew to improvise under extreme pressure. In the cabin, the senior flight attendant, Laurie Ann Pickett, teams up with a vigilant passenger, Brett Young, to assess what can still be done to save the aircraft. What begins as a survival-minded effort quickly shifts into a tense manual operation as their only reliable guide—the autopilot—begins to misbehave.

Full summary

The whole story of Panic in the Skies, scene by scene

Read the full summary
Quiz

How Well Do You Know Panic in the Skies?

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

  1. Question 1: not answered
  2. Question 2: not answered
  3. Question 3: not answered
  4. Question 4: not answered
  5. Question 5: not answered
  6. Question 6: not answered
  7. Question 7: not answered
  8. Question 8: not answered
  9. Question 9: not answered
  10. Question 10: not answered

What caused the deaths of the flight crew aboard Royce Air International Flight 115 and silenced radio communications with the ground?

Details

Panic in the Skies Also Known As

4 alternative titles, including “Blitzschlag im Cockpit” and “Blitzschlag im Cockpit - Katastrophe in den Wolken”.

Also known as
  • Blitzschlag im Cockpit
  • Blitzschlag im Cockpit - Katastrophe in den Wolken
  • Blitzschlag im Cockpit: Katastrophe in den Wolken
  • Volo 747: panico a bordo

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FAQ

Panic in the Skies FAQ: Cast, Runtime & Release Date

Runtime, release date, director, cast and post-credit scenes of Panic in the Skies, each answered in a sentence.

How long is Panic in the Skies?

Panic in the Skies runs 1 hour 30 minutes (90 minutes).

When was Panic in the Skies released?

Panic in the Skies was released on October 13, 1996.

Who directed Panic in the Skies?

Panic in the Skies was directed by Paul Ziller.

More films by Paul Ziller

Who is in the cast of Panic in the Skies?

Panic in the Skies stars Ed Marinaro as Brett Young, Maureen McCormick as Flight Attendant and Kate Jackson as Laurie Ann Pickett, among 19 credited actors.

Does Panic in the Skies have a post-credit scene?

No. Panic in the Skies has no extra scene during or after the credits.

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