| Plot: | Terrorists take over a 747 bound from Athens to Washington D.C., supposedly to effect the release of their leader. Intelligence expert David Grant suspects another reason and convinces the military that the 'plane should not be allowed to enter U.S. airspace. An assault mission is devised, using a specially equipped 'plane designed for mid-air crew transfers, and Grant finds himself aboard the 747 with a team of military anti-terrorists who have to defuse a bomb and overpower the terrorists.
A Boeing 747, Oceanic Airlines flight 343, has just taken off from Athens, Greece, and is headed for the USA. Minutes after takeoff, the airplane is taken hostage by a group of terrorists led by Nagi Hassan. One of the hostages is a United States senator named Mavros. Hassan is demanding the release of one of his comrades, Elsai ad Jaffa, who is being held by United States authorities. Lieutenant Colonel Austin Travis is the leader of a military team. As the jet approaches the USA, engineer Dennis Cahill designs a plan in which a military plane will be able to transfer Austin and his team onto the 747 in mid air. Also along for the mission will be Dennis and intelligence agent David Grant. When Austin is killed in the process of boarding the 747, David is forced to take over the rescue attempt, and after boarding the airplane, David and the military team discover that Hassan has some stolen Soviet nerve gas attached to a bomb, and he is using the 747 to smuggle the deadly gas into the United States, where he intends to use it to wipe out Washington D.C. and possibly the entire Eastern seaboard. It's up to Dennis to defuse the bomb while David and the team try to rescue the hostages from Hassan.
When Oceanic Airlines flight 343 is hijacked, the U.S. Military devises a plan to get Army Commandoes onboard the jet at 39,000 feet. The hijackers are unaware of the commandoes, while the soldiers are unaware of a weapon planned to take out the eastern seaboard of the U.S., the rogue unit must fight against time and the shaky government before they blow the jet out of the sky.
Some Arabs hijack an airliner and demand the release of their leader who is in American custody. They also intend to land in Washington for refueling. At the Pentagon, everyone there advises the National Security Advisor that they should let the plane land and then let the counter terrorist team of Colonel Austin Travis take them out. However, David Grant, an intelligence expert believes that this whole thing is a smokescreen. Grant believes that the Arab leader was abducted and brought to the Americans by his second in command, who is a fanatic. Also, that he has in his possession a biological weapon that could wipe out Washington and that it's on the plane. Now they have only two choices let them land and hope Grant is wrong or shoot the plane down along with every one on board. Colonel Travis suggests that they use a new plane that the military uses to transport men from it onto another aircraft while in flight. With no other option Travis is given the go ahead. Travis asks that Grant accompany him so that he can give them whatever info he can provide. However, it appears that Travis has another reason for bringing Grant along. It seems that awhile back they were sent on a mission to retrieve the biological weapon, but, in the end found that the weapon not there - one of Travis' men was also killed. It was Grant's Intel that sent them there. Now the aircraft link-up seems to be going well until the plane starts to break and fall apart. Half of the team including Travis doesn't make it. The ones that do (including Grant), and the man who built the plane they were on, have to carry out the mission. Unfortunately, some important equipment (communication link, knock out gas) didn't make it, so they have to do it the hard way. At the same time, the Pentagon, unsure if the men made it, have to again decide whether to let them land or shoot the plane down.
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