A commercial flight suffers a catastrophic windshield failure, causing explosive decompression that nearly sucks a crew member out. With the autopilot offline and systems failing, the remaining crew struggles as mountains loom ahead. Amid the panic, a boy named Ethan — a pilot trainee — is roused and unexpectedly transmits a mayday signal using the proper pilot-level emergency code, stunning the adults. His quick thinking is tested further when the right engine catches fire. The crew realizes they must fly single-engine, and a crew member steps forward to assist the young trainee in the desperate attempt to control the crippled plane.