Airport 1975 (1974)

Columbia Airlines Flight 409 is a Boeing 747-100 on a red-eye flight from Washington Dulles International Airport to Los Angeles International Airport, while Scott Freeman is a businessman flying his private Beechcraft Baron to a sales meeting in Boise, Idaho. However, an occluded front has the entire West Coast of the United States socked in, with Columbia 409 and Freeman’s Beechcraft both diverted to Salt Lake City International Airport. Salt Lake air traffic control assigns Columbia 409 to land ahead of Freeman’s Beechcraft. As Columbia 409 is about to start its descent, First Officer Urias unlocks himself from his seat to check out a vibration. Just then, Freeman suffers a heart attack and uncontrollably ascends into the approach of Columbia 409.

The Beechcraft slams into Columbia 409 just above the co-pilot seat, ripping a hole through which Urias is ejected from the jet, while killing the flight engineer and sending debris that blinds the jet’s pilot, Captain Stacy. Stacy is able to engage the autopilot and the altitude hold switch before losing consciousness. Nancy Pryor, the First Stewardess, rushes to the flight deck. Nancy informs the Salt Lake control tower on the status of the cockpit crew, and that there is no one to fly the plane, while also giving an assessment of the damage. Joe Patroni, Columbia’s Vice President of Operations, is apprised of Columbia 409’s situation.