Airport '77 (1977)

Airport ’77 (1977), the third film in the Airport series, tells the story of wealthy philanthropist Philip Stevens and his plan to reconnect with his estranged daughter and grandson by inviting them onto his private Boeing 747-100, Stevens’s Flight 23. The jetliner also carries priceless artwork from Stevens’s personal collection, which has caught the attention of a group of thieves led by co-pilot Bob Chambers. In an attempt to hijack the aircraft, they lure Captain Don Gallagher away from the cockpit and release a sleeping gas into the cabin, knocking out everyone on board. Under Chambers’s control, the plane is flown to a deserted island where he plans to offload the stolen treasures in secret. Meanwhile, due to their sudden disappearance in the Bermuda Triangle, Flight 23 becomes shrouded in mystery.

As Flight 23 descends to virtual wave-top altitude, it enters a fog bank, drastically reducing visibility. Suddenly, a large offshore drilling platform emerges from the haze and the plane is headed directly towards it. Chambers desperately tries to avoid a collision, but unfortunately the wing clips the structure’s tower, causing one of the engines to catch fire. Acting quickly, Chambers extinguishes the flames but then faces another problem as the plane begins to lose airspeed, putting it at risk of stalling. Despite his efforts to keep control, Chambers is unable to maintain the necessary airspeed and the plane ultimately stalls and crashes into the water. As passengers start waking up to this terrifying situation, there is a moment of floating before the plane quietly sinks below the surface.