Lieutenant Colonel Austin Travis (Steven Seagal) leads an unsuccessful raid on a Chechen mafia safehouse by a United States Army special forces team to recover a stolen Soviet nerve agent, DZ-5.David Grant (Kurt Russell), Ph.D, a United States Naval Academy graduate and now a consultant for Army intelligence, is informed that the world's most feared terrorist, El Sayed Jaffa (Andreas Katsulas), has been taken into custody. Shortly after, Oceanic Airlines Flight 343, a Boeing 747-200, leaves Athens bound for Washington Dulles International Airport. It is hijacked by Jaffa's number two man, Nagi Hassan (David Suchet), and a number of Jaffa's men.
Dr. Grant is summoned to the Pentagon to join a team led by Travis which is being readied to intercept the hijacked plane. They listen to Nagi Hassan's demand for the release of Jaffa. Grant, however, does not believe Hassan wants Jaffa released. He believes that Hassan actually arranged for Jaffa's capture, that the hijacked plane is carrying a bomb loaded with DZ-5, and that Hassan wants to detonate the bomb over U.S. airspace.
A plan is worked out that will involve a mid-air transfer of a commando team onto the hijacked airliner using an experimental "Remora" aircraft. The plan is approved, and Colonel Travis assembles his commando team at Andrews Air Force Base. They board with Dr. Grant and engineer Dennis Cahill (Oliver Platt).
The boarding is only partially successful. When Sergeant "Cappy" Matheny (Joe Morton) is seriously injured, Grant, who was supposed to stay put, boards to help lift him into the plane. The 747 pulls up, though, putting too much stress on the boarding sleeve. Unable to board the plane, Colonel Travis sacrifices himself when he closes the 747's hatch, just as the sleeve breaks and he is thrown from the F-117. The remainder of the commando team make it to the 747's lower deck, but with half their equipment, so military command on the ground does not know whether or not the commandos made it on board.
With limited options, the commandos begin to search for the supposed DZ-5 bomb. Grant manages to make contact with a stewardess, Jean (Halle Berry), despite Hassan's suspicions, and asks her for assistance in finding the bomb's remote detonator.
Officials decide to release Jaffa in order to resolve the situation. Meanwhile, Cappy and Cahill locate and start to dismantle the bomb. They discover that bomb's arming device is barometrically activated. They seemingly disarm the bomb, but it is revealed that there is another trigger.
Jaffa calls Hassan from a private jet, telling him he is free, but Hassan will not be swayed from his plan. Grant realizes that only Hassan knows about the bomb, but none of his men do—which means there is a sleeper on board—one passenger among 400.
Senator Mavros (J.T. Walsh) is called away from his seat to have a word with the president but finds he is not speaking to him. Then Hassan points a gun to his head and Mavros tries in vain to get the president but is shot in the head.
Jean spots a man with an electronic device and informs Grant. Meanwhile, the commandos manage to use the plane's taillights and Morse code to signal to U.S. fighter jets that they are on board and not to shoot them down.
Grant and Jean enter the passenger cabin and take the suspect by surprise, but what Jean thought was an electronic device was merely a case of diamonds. Grant spots the real sleeper: Jean-Paul Demou, the man who built the bomb. Hassan attempts to fire at Grant, but is shot from behind by the on-board air marshal. The commandos storm the cabin where a firefight ensues. Stray bullets strike and break passenger windows wide open, causing explosive decompression which sucks several passengers and Demou out of the plane. All of the remaining terrorists are killed during the exchange, the bomb is finally disarmed, and plane is able to regain its stability. In a last act of desperation, Hassan kills both pilots, hoping the bomb will detonate if the plane crashes. Hassan is killed immediately after by a wounded Captain Rat.
Grant is then forced to assume control of the plane and attempt to land the 747 at Dulles despite his limited piloting experience. He attempts to land at Dulles but is flying too high by the time he reaches the runway and misses the approach forcing him to pull the plane back up and try again. As the plane begins to climb, Grant visually recognizes the area surrounding Frederick Municipal Airport which is where he normally practices flying. Deciding to try and land the 747 there, with Jean's assistance, Grant makes a relatively steady landing but is unable to stop before reaching the end of the airport's relatively short runway. The plane is slowed to a stop by sand at the runway's overrun area where emergency workers are able to safely evacuate the remaining passengers.
Dr. Grant is summoned to the Pentagon to join a team led by Travis which is being readied to intercept the hijacked plane. They listen to Nagi Hassan's demand for the release of Jaffa. Grant, however, does not believe Hassan wants Jaffa released. He believes that Hassan actually arranged for Jaffa's capture, that the hijacked plane is carrying a bomb loaded with DZ-5, and that Hassan wants to detonate the bomb over U.S. airspace.
A plan is worked out that will involve a mid-air transfer of a commando team onto the hijacked airliner using an experimental "Remora" aircraft. The plan is approved, and Colonel Travis assembles his commando team at Andrews Air Force Base. They board with Dr. Grant and engineer Dennis Cahill (Oliver Platt).
The boarding is only partially successful. When Sergeant "Cappy" Matheny (Joe Morton) is seriously injured, Grant, who was supposed to stay put, boards to help lift him into the plane. The 747 pulls up, though, putting too much stress on the boarding sleeve. Unable to board the plane, Colonel Travis sacrifices himself when he closes the 747's hatch, just as the sleeve breaks and he is thrown from the F-117. The remainder of the commando team make it to the 747's lower deck, but with half their equipment, so military command on the ground does not know whether or not the commandos made it on board.
With limited options, the commandos begin to search for the supposed DZ-5 bomb. Grant manages to make contact with a stewardess, Jean (Halle Berry), despite Hassan's suspicions, and asks her for assistance in finding the bomb's remote detonator.
Officials decide to release Jaffa in order to resolve the situation. Meanwhile, Cappy and Cahill locate and start to dismantle the bomb. They discover that bomb's arming device is barometrically activated. They seemingly disarm the bomb, but it is revealed that there is another trigger.
Jaffa calls Hassan from a private jet, telling him he is free, but Hassan will not be swayed from his plan. Grant realizes that only Hassan knows about the bomb, but none of his men do—which means there is a sleeper on board—one passenger among 400.
Senator Mavros (J.T. Walsh) is called away from his seat to have a word with the president but finds he is not speaking to him. Then Hassan points a gun to his head and Mavros tries in vain to get the president but is shot in the head.
Jean spots a man with an electronic device and informs Grant. Meanwhile, the commandos manage to use the plane's taillights and Morse code to signal to U.S. fighter jets that they are on board and not to shoot them down.
Grant and Jean enter the passenger cabin and take the suspect by surprise, but what Jean thought was an electronic device was merely a case of diamonds. Grant spots the real sleeper: Jean-Paul Demou, the man who built the bomb. Hassan attempts to fire at Grant, but is shot from behind by the on-board air marshal. The commandos storm the cabin where a firefight ensues. Stray bullets strike and break passenger windows wide open, causing explosive decompression which sucks several passengers and Demou out of the plane. All of the remaining terrorists are killed during the exchange, the bomb is finally disarmed, and plane is able to regain its stability. In a last act of desperation, Hassan kills both pilots, hoping the bomb will detonate if the plane crashes. Hassan is killed immediately after by a wounded Captain Rat.
Grant is then forced to assume control of the plane and attempt to land the 747 at Dulles despite his limited piloting experience. He attempts to land at Dulles but is flying too high by the time he reaches the runway and misses the approach forcing him to pull the plane back up and try again. As the plane begins to climb, Grant visually recognizes the area surrounding Frederick Municipal Airport which is where he normally practices flying. Deciding to try and land the 747 there, with Jean's assistance, Grant makes a relatively steady landing but is unable to stop before reaching the end of the airport's relatively short runway. The plane is slowed to a stop by sand at the runway's overrun area where emergency workers are able to safely evacuate the remaining passengers.
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