SOS over the Pacific

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Movie
German title SOS over the Pacific
Original title Mercy Mission: The Rescue of Flight 771, Australia / New Zealand: The Flight From Hell
Country of production USA , Australia
original language English
Publishing year 1993
length 87 minutes
Rod
Director Roger Young
script George Rubino
production Robert Benedetti
music Patrick Williams
camera Donald M. Morgan
cut Benjamin A. Weissman
occupation

SOS over the Pacific is a 1993 feature film based on a true story. The film was first shown on American television.

action

On December 22, 1978, the young pilots Jay and Frank are supposed to transfer two small Cessna aircraft from the USA to Sydney , with stopovers in Honolulu , Pago Pago and Norfolk Island . At the start in Pago Pago, Frank had an accident with his plane, so that Jay had to fly on alone over the Pacific . Jay drifts off course in cross winds and cannot find Norfolk Island. The fuel is running out.

Jay broadcasts a call for help. His radio compass has stopped working. Gordon Vette, the pilot of an Air New Zealand flight, answered. He has 88 passengers on board. He could escort Jay to the nearest airport if he finds him. Captain Vette informs the passengers and asks them to help the pilots find the small plane. He changes course to the assumed position of the Cessna. In particular, a school class on board is eagerly looking out, but initially without success.

Jay has only the most essential navigational instruments on his plane. The two pilots try to determine the position of the aircraft using sometimes primitive methods such as “bearing the height of the sun over the thumb”. But even a radio distribution and the creation of an artificial contrail by letting off fuel do not lead to success.

A New Zealand Air Force aircraft that is supposed to come to the rescue and could easily align the Cessna has to turn back because of an approaching thunderstorm.

Jay is visibly tired after more than 15 hours of flight and thinks several times of trying to ditch even in hopeless situations. But the thought of his heavily pregnant wife and the upcoming Christmas party prevent him from doing so.

When, to make matters worse, he got caught in the thunderstorm, the passengers of the Air New Zealand flight found the plane after all. The ground crew at Auckland Airport can determine the course for him. Despite his exhaustion, Jay manages to steer the Cessna through the thunderstorm to Auckland and lands on glide after running out of fuel shortly before the runway. He was in the air for 23 hours.

backgrounds

Jay and Gordon, the real pilots, acted as consultants in the making of the film and had a cameo after the successful landing . They stayed in touch after their adventure. Jay later became a commercial airline pilot, and Gordon Vette retired a few years later.

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