Turbulence 2: Fear of Flying

Plot

A group of people celebrate overcoming their fear of flying by taking a flight together. They board a TransContinental Airlines Boeing 747-200, TransCon Flight 110, circling around Seattle–Tacoma International Airport. While the aircraft is cruising, a Polish gunman hijacks the flight. He says that there is a chemical weapon filled with toxins in the cargo bay and shows the detonator. The Polish hijacker goes to the cockpit and explains the plot to the captain and demands that he land at Seattle or a nearby airport. The captain says he can't land at Seattle due to bad weather and asks the hijacker to wait until the weather improves or use the bomb now. After getting into a scuffle, a British passenger Elliot (Jeffrey Nordling) - claiming to be an MI6 agent - and an FBI officer tie the Pole down. An aerospace engineer, Martin Messerman (Craig Sheffer), notices that Elliot had placed the detonator in his pocket. When asked to hand it over, he kills the Pole and the FBI agent. Elliot says to the captain that he's in charge now. After knocking the captain unconscious, he takes control of the plane and the passengers hostage. Martin attempts to warn about the hijack from an airphone but Elliot turns them all off.

Martin, with the help of another passenger Jessica (Jennifer Beals), goes down to the cargo bay and notifies a fellow Seattle air traffic controller Robert Sikes (Tom Berenger) of the hijack via a VOR system which Elliot doesn't notice. He is notified that the aircraft will be shot down if it flies over a populated area and must drop the toxin over water within seven minutes. He is told that the toxin is in cargo box A45114 but only hears "A45..." before Elliot switches off the VOR. Martin opens the spoilers to slow the 747 to make it descend to 10,000 ft (3,000 m) to open the cargo door without getting sucked out by the decompression and to get a signal for his cellphone. After reaching his intended altitudes and acquiring a signal, he retracts the spoilers and opens the cargo door. He finds the toxin in cargo box A45114. Elliot comes down and tries to shoot at the duo but can't get a clear shot as the bins are preventing the door from opening completely, expending all of his ammunition in the process. The ground controllers order the aircraft shot down by a missile from the USS Bremerton. Elliot activates the detonator to blow up the toxin but Martin and Jessica manage to drop the toxin out the plane before it detonates over water. They notify Seattle that the toxin has been dropped and the missile from the Bremerton is redirected away from the 747-200 and self-destructed.

Elliot takes one of passengers, Wilcox, into the cockpit to accompany him and finds Martin and Jessica hiding in the crew compartment. He is about shoot Martin but Martin says that he is an aerospace engineer and can land the plane. Martin grabs the control but is ordered by Elliot not to try anything or else he will kill Jessica. Martin broadcasts Elliot's demands: no police, no armed personnel, await further instructions. Martin is forced to make a flyby over Sea-Tac Airport, but objects due to fuel levels. Elliot throws Wilcox he brought upstairs out of the plane and ties Jessica to one of the seats using the handcuffs that were used to tie up the Pole. He lands in the airport control tower and is apparently knocked unconscious and taken to the hospital. Martin manages to land the plane with two engines and stop 300 ft from the end of the runway. Delta Force snipers and police officers surround the aircraft. Elliot, accompanied by Martin, staggers down the airstair and retorts that he's "already halfway home". Martin uses his cellphone to record his conversation to the air traffic controllers and federal agents in the control tower, who hear this via speaker. Martin's son Trevor (Dillion Moen) is seen in terminal with one of Elliot's henchmen wielding a gun. As Martin and Elliot enter an ambulance, Trevor runs out on the tarmac which Elliot's henchman pursuing and being killed by Delta Force snipers. A fight ensues when Elliot shoots and injures a paramedic but is killed with his wrist-equipped spike when Martin breaks it and stabs Elliot with it, killing him instantly when the ambulance stops. Martin reunites with Trevor and Jessica, after she breaks free of her handcuff. He meets Robert Sikes in person and the three go home while the passengers disembark the 747-200.

Cast

Reception

Turbulence 2: Fear of Flying currently hold a 14% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.