Rake, a 49 year old pilot. He is the captain of United Airlines flight 131.

Michael Reese, he is 35 years old, a skinny person, and is the first officer of United Airlines Flight 131.

Billy Sermon, he is 40 years old and is the flight attendant in charge of taking care of the passengers during the flight.

Passenger 1, a 30-year-old Indian man from Ft Lauderdale with a bright personality.

Passenger 2, a 30-year-old woman from New York with a bright personality.

Radio, the Ft Lauderdale control tower. The speaker is very young, has a calm personality, and speaks in an American accent.

F-16 Pilot, he is 20 years old and has very good flight experience. Has a calm personality and speaks in an American accent.

Flight attendant 1, he is 21 years old and he is inexperienced.

Synopsis: It is 3 days after American Airlines flight 587 crashed in New York City. United Airlines Flight 131's crew are on their edge because of this incident. After takeoff, United Airlines flight 131 flies out of control due to the aft pressure bulkhead of the plane uploading in the back of the plane. There are 211 passengers on board. Michael Reese, Billy Sermon, and John Rake try to save their plane from crashing.

INT. UNITED AIRLINES FLIGHT 131 COCKPIT FT LAUDERDALE AIRPORT 11/15/2001 5:30 AM

The air is hot and humid and there is little wind. Right on Ft Lauderdale Airport's tarmac sits United Airlines Flight 131. The fully fueled Boeing 777 is waiting for passengers to get boarded. The flight is bound for New York City. The terminal where the passengers of United Airlines Flight 131 are waiting is very crowded. Flight Attendant Billy Sermon and the other eight flight attendants are cleaning the cabin. They are still anxious about American Airlines flight 587 and tired from waking up very early. Meanwhile, Captain John Rake and Michael Reese are doing their preflight checks.

JOHN RAKE

Hydraulics check.

MICHAEL REESE

Radio check.

JOHN RAKE

Flaps check.

MICHAEL REESE

Fuel is filled check. Both of the

engine disks are very old.

JOHN RAKE

I think we will make it. Don't worry.

Billy Sermon enters the cockpit to see if the pilots are ready for flight.

BILLY SERMON

Michael. John. Is everything alright?

Need breakfast or anything?

JOHN RAKE

Everything is alright Mr. Sermon. No

need for breakfast.

MICHAEL REESE

I am all good as well.

MICHAEL REESE

Captain Rake, how long have you been

flying?

JOHN RAKE

19 years.

MICHAEL REESE

Ever try to save a plane from

crashing?

JOHN RAKE

Once.

MICHAEL REESE

This is my first time flying for real.

BILLY SERMON

(Nervous) Hey, I heard you guys

talking about the engine disks. Are we

able to fly safely? I heard from other

pilots that metal fatigue in the

engine disk can lead to devastating

accidents.

JOHN RAKE

We will be fine. Thanks for your

concern.

BILLY SERMON

The cabin is ready for boarding the

passengers. We will be carrying 200

passengers today.

JOHN RAKE

That is a lot of passengers to take

care of, so I worry that boarding will

take a long time. Fortunately, all

systems are looking good, fuel is

loaded, and the hydraulics are

functioning perfectly. We can start

boarding the passengers.

INT. UNITED AIRLINES FLIGHT 131 CABIN

Flight attendant 1 starts opening the doors and puts his hands near the release life raft lever.

BILLY SERMON

Hey. Don't turn that lever. Turn the

bottom one or the life rafts will

deploy.

FLIGHT ATTENDANT 1

Ok.

INT. FT LAUDERDALE INTERNATIONAL GATE A1 11/15/2001 5:45 AM Billy Sermon walks to the microphone.

BILLY SERMON

Everyone, we are going to start

boarding now. First class passengers

will board first, then the rest of you

will board the plane.

The first class passengers walk to the gate. Billy Sermon collects the boarding passes and picks up the microphone.

BILLY SERMON

Now, the rest of the passengers will

start boarding.

The rest of the passengers are relieved to start boarding the plane. They grabbed their belongings and started to walk towards the gate.

INT. UNITED AIRLINES FLIGHT 131 COCKPIT 11/15/2001 6:00 AM MOVING

The plane taxied to the runway and the pilots await instructions from the control tower. Meanwhile, Billy Sermon and the flight attendants check if the passengers are safe for take off.

RADIO

United 131, this is Ft Lauderdale

Control Tower. Before entering

Georgia, please contact Atlanta

Traffic Control for navigation. Thank

you.

MICHAEL REESE

Copy that Ft Lauderdale Control.

Billy Sermon knocks on the door.

BILLY SERMON

This is Billy. Just want to let you

know, we are clear for takeoff. I am

the only one that is not strapped. I

will let you know when I am strapped

in.

Billy Sermon quickly walks to his seat and straps in. Then,

He grabs the phone and calls the cockpit.

BILLY SERMON

(With phone to the mouth) I am

strapped in.

MICHAEL REESE

All right.

JOHN RAKE

You have control, Rookie?

MICHAEL REESE

I have control.

First officer Michael Reese radios the control tower

MICHAEL REESE

Ft Lauderdale Control, this is United

131. We are ready for take off.

FT LAUDERDALE CONTROL

United 131, this is Ft Lauderdale

Control. You are clear for takeoff.

Michael Reese pushes the two throttles forward. The noise of the engines increased rapidly. The wind from the engines got stronger. The plane started accelerating and rumbling. As Michael Reese pushes the throttles even more. The rumbling and engine noise steadily increased. It kept increasing, increasing, increasing, and increasing.

JOHN RAKE

V1.

MICHAEL REESE

Rotate.

The plane rotates 30 degrees and the tail section hits the runway hard.

MICHAEL REESE

What was that?

JOHN RAKE

Nothing. Just a scratch. Just watch

the elevators next time.

MICHAEL REESE

Ok.

The plane lifts off the ground. The rumbling stopped and the plane was in the air.

INT. UNITED AIRLINES FLIGHT 131 CABIN MOVING

The Boeing 777 climbs to 20000 fit within 10 minutes. The plane is now 50 miles away from the airport. The passengers are calmly minding their own business. Many are listening to music on their phones, talking, or sleeping. Meanwhile, a conversation starts between two passengers.

PASSENGER 1

(Nervous) Hey.

PASSENGER 2

(Happily) Hi. What's up?

PASSENGER 1

(Nervous) Just afraid of heights. Any

advice.

PASSENGER 2

(Happily) You can take a nap. If you

can't do that, turn down the shades.

PASSENGER 1

(Nervous) Ok.

PASSENGER 2

(Calmly) Relax bud. We won't crash.

Before Passenger 1 could say his next words, a huge explosion takes place on the back of the plane. The plane loses cabin pressure and the oxygen masks drop. The passengers scream as they put on their oxygen masks. Then, the plane banks 60 degrees to the left and dives.

INT. UNITED AIRLINES FLIGHT 131 COCKPIT MOVING

The pilots remain calm and start solving the problem. As captain John Rake turns the joystick right, Michael Reese radios Lauderdale Control Center.

MICHAEL REESE

Mayday Mayday Mayday. This is United

Airlines flight 131. We have an

equipment malfunction and we need to

return back to the airport for an

emergency landing. Both engines are

functioning but there is an explosion

in the back of the plane and we have

lost all hydraulics except for the

ailerons. We have the rudder jammed to

the left; therefore, we are banking

sharply and we are losing altitude.

RADIO

United Airlines flight 131, please fix

your problem, turn 180 degrees, and

descend to 6000 ft.

The plane continues to bank to the left and it keeps diving. The pilots kept turning their joysticks, but the plane keeps diving and banking. The pilots try pulling the joystick, but the plane keeps diving and banking.

JOHN RAKE

I have an idea. Reduce power on the

left engine and increase power on the

right engine. Then, increase power for

both engines.

MICHAEL REESE

What!? What will that do?

JOHN RAKE

Just do it.

Michael Reese pulls back the throttle for the left engine and pushes the throttle forward for the right engine. Meanwhile, the plane starts to bank right. Then, Michael Reese pushes both throttles forward. The plane is now leveled with the nose facing Ft Lauderdale airport. After that, Billy Sermon enters the cockpit to check on the pilots.

BILLY SERMON

What happened!

MICHAEL REESE

There was an explosion in the back and

it destroyed two of our hydraulic

systems, which left the elevators

loose and the rudder jammed to the

left. Only our Ailerons work. We need

your help radioing the control tower.

BILLY SERMON

Ok.

Billy Sermon turns on the radio and talks to the control tower.

BILLY SERMON

Ft Lauderdale Control, this is United

Airlines flight 131. We have fixed our

current problem and we are headed

towards the airport.

RADIO

United 131, you are clear to land on

any runway. We also have two f 16s

from Homestead Airbase to surveil you.

They have arrived at your current

position.

Two f 16s approach the rear of the plane. Billy Sermon radios f 16s.

BILLY SERMON

F 16s, this is United Airlines flight

131. What happened to us?

F 16 PILOT

Half of your horizontal stabilizer is

gone. The remaining part of the rudder

is jammed to the left. Also, your aft

pressure bulkhead is damaged.

JOHN RAKE

This is why we don't go rough on the

elevators when taking off Rookie!

MICHAEL REESE

(Frantically) Sorry! Sorry!

JOHN RAKE

We have bigger problems!

Then, the plane starts to climb rapidly for three seconds, then dive for five seconds. The plane continues this action and the pilots and the flight attendant become startled.

JOHN RAKE

The loss of hydraulics for the

elevators causes the plane to climb

and dive. Take control of the

throttles. Remember, push the

throttles for climbing, pull the

throttles to descend.

Michael Reese pushes the engine throttles when the plane dives for five seconds and pulls the engine throttles when the plane climbs for three seconds. Then, the engine disks explode and destroy the elevators.

JOHN RAKE

Shut down both engines.

MICHAEL REESE

Ok.

Michael Reese pulls the throttles back on both engines and shuts both engines down. Then the plane dives.

MICHAEL REESE

We are currently 2000 feet above the

ground and we are 20 miles away from

the airport. Both our engines have

failed. We cannot make it to the

airport and we have to ditch the plane

in the Atlantic.

BILLY SERMON

Ft Lauderdale Control, this is United Airlines flight 131. We are currently 2000 feet above the ground and we are 20 miles away from the airport. Both our engines have failed. We cannot make it to the airport and we have to ditch the plane in the Atlantic.

RADIO

Copy that.

MICHAEL REESE

Lets lower the flaps to cancel the

dive.

JOHN RAKE

Ok.

MICHAEL REESE

We are at 500 feet and still diving.

Michael Reese pulls the flap lever to the highest level. The plane's nose starts to aim upwards.

MICHAEL REESE

Dive is cancelled out. Billy, tell

everyone to go into brace position.

Billy Sermon gets up, opens the cockpit door and walks into the cabin.

INT. UNITED AIRLINES FLIGHT 131 CABIN MOVING

The passengers in the cabin of the plane were frantic. Some are crying, others are praying, and the rest just stood silent. The air was cold and there was luggage everywhere. Overall, it was nearly silent. Billy Sermon walks into the cabin.

BILLY SERMON

Everybody in brace position. Feet flat

on the floor, head down as far as

possible. Brace for impact. Heads down

stay down.

The plane descends rapidly to the altitude of 100 ft.

OTHER FLIGHT ATTENDANTS

Brace for impact. Heads down stay

down. Brace for impact. Heads down

stay down. Brace for impact. Heads

down stay down. Brace for impact.

Heads down stay down. Brace for

impact. Heads down stay down.

The passengers obeyed and went into brace position.

INT. UNITED AIRLINES FLIGHT 131 COCKPIT MOVING

The pilots use the ailerons and flaps to put the plane in landing position.

MICHAEL REESE

(yelling) Here we go!

AIRCRAFT INSTRUMENT INDICATOR

Too low terrain. Pull up. Too low

terrain. Pull up. 30....20.....10....

The plane splashes into the water flinging the pilots front and back. The plane dips 5 feet into the water, then resurfaces. The F 16s following the plane pulls up and climbs and circles the plane. Then, United Airlines flight 131 decelerates and comes to a stop. The pilots run into the cabin.

INT. UNITED AIRLINES FLIGHT 131 CABIN

Water starts rapidly flooding the back of the plane. The passengers await instructions from the pilots.

JOHN RAKE

(Yelling) Evacuate now. Flight

attendants. Open the doors and the

rafts. Passengers, get the life vest

at the bottom of your seat and come

out of the plane in a a calm and

orderly fashion. We don't have much

time so let's move! Flight attendants.

Do a head count on each raft. There

are 211 of us.

The passengers grabbed their life vests, lined up in the aisles, and proceeded to the door in a calm and orderly fashion. Flight attendant 1 pulled the release life raft lever and the life raft releases. Then, one at a time, walked onto the life raft. When the life rafts are full, the flight attendants cut the rope that is holding the life raft to the plane and rows away from the plane.

INT. DESTROYER USS CHARLIE MOVING

It has been 4 hours until USS Charlie picked the passengers from the plane wreck. The destroyer was damp and space was limited. The air was cold as ice, crowded with many sailors and passengers. USS Charlie rocked side to side making some passengers sea sick. The passengers all gathered in the dining area while the sailors gave them medical attention. First officer Michael Reese walks to John Rake to report Billy's information on the passengers.

MICHAEL REESE

Captain, I have reports from Mr.

Sermon. Everyone got onto the life

rafts.

JOHN RAKE

Both of us will be investigated for

pulling the joystick too much and

flying with old engine disks. You need

to know how to take responsibility for

your actions.

MICHAEL REESE

Sometimes, I wonder... is it luck or

skill?

JOHN RAKE

Just keep flying, my friend.