You might wonder why the opening text of Miracle Landing lets you know the outcome and that the film is based on a true story, but the reason is soon revealed. If you weren't told it was a true story, you would never believe it. In this airplane drama, the roof of the passenger compartment flies off mid-flight. Without any communication between the stewardesses and the cockpit, and very little between the pilots and airflight control, they have to land the plane. It really is unbelievable; but then again, it really did happen.
As in the classic formula, the main characters have a bit of a backstory in the set-up before takeoff. The pilot (Wayne Rogers) is an ex-flyboy from the Vietnam War, the co-pilot (Connie Sellecca) is a woman in training, and one of the stewardesses (Ana Alicia) is a single mom who wants to set a good example for her daughter. The head stewardess is Nancy Kwan, although she unfortunately has a very small part. Other passengers include a honeymoon couple, a kid coming back from vacation, old folks who are nervous about flying, and the other usual tropes you'll usually find in a disaster movie. There's some "intense" music, some low-budget special effects, and an obvious "disaster-flick" script, but somehow this tv movie gives you an emotional experience.
The opening text told me what to expect, but I was at the edge of my seat with a lump in my throat the entire time. I couldn't believe what I was seeing, and I didn't know how anyone would make it out alive. And how did Ana Alicia get up the courage to keep throwing herself up and down the aisles to help people, knowing that if she let go for a second, she'd be sucked out of the plane and killed? Truly inspiring, and although cheesy, a must-see for disaster movie fans.
