Transatlantic flight 627 Captain Steve Williams is piloting a DC-7C commercial airliner on a flight from Lisbon to New York when two engines fail. One of the propellers cannot be feathered, causing drag that makes it uncertain whether New York can be reached. The crippled aircraft is not the only concern for Williams as he has been faced with family complications. He is at odds with his wife Helen over raising their son. Williams is also not liked by his co-pilot John Smithback, engineer Howard Whitney and navigator Jed Sutton, who resent Williams's overbearing attitude.
