This suspenseful air-borne adventure can rightfully lay claim to being the Mother of All subsequent in-flight disaster films of the '70s. The trouble begins when the pilot and crew of a Canadian passenger plane suddenly find themselves doubled over from accidental ptomaine poisoning and unable to continue flying the plane. The only other person on board who can save the terrified crew is a former WW II flying ace who is petrified of flying again. Fortunately, a courageous steel-nerved ground controller is there to offer full-radio support. Later the film became the basis of a TV movie and the hilarious parody (1980). Arthur Hailey, who wrote the teleplay on which this was based, went on to write the novel and the screenplay for 1970's .