I wanted to bring your attention to what could possibly be one of the worst aviation movies of all time: “On a Wing and a Prayer,” released on April 17th. The movie is based on the remarkable 2008 incident where a Beechcraft King Air 200 pilot became incapacitated, leaving the passenger, Doug White, with limited aviation knowledge to land the aircraft with the assistance of air traffic control (ATC) and other professionals. The real story is a testament to the expertise and safety of aviation professionals and the industry itself. However, this movie completely botches the story, resulting in a dull and highly inaccurate portrayal.
Firstly, the portrayal of ATC professionals in the movie is absolutely awful. Instead of showcasing their competence and efficiency, the movie depicts them as inept and clueless. For instance, they inexplicably shut down an entire Bravo airspace just to watch this small Beechcraft land, which is completely unrealistic and undermines the professionalism of ATC personnel. Additionally, the movie introduces a need to call in a “special person” to provide guidance on landing and controlling the aircraft, which is entirely contrived and adds unnecessary complexity to the plot.
Moreover, “On a Wing and a Prayer” suffers from terrible editing, numerous plot holes, and other poorly executed scenes that further contribute to its downfall. For example, there’s a particularly cringe-worthy moment where one sister assures the other, who is unconscious and experiencing anaphylactic shock, that “it’s gonna be okay,” without taking any immediate action such as administering an epinephrine injection. Another facepalm-worthy moment occurs when the “special person” advises the pilot to ‘let go of the controls,’ which is a glaring error considering that maintaining control of the aircraft is paramount in such circumstances.
I strongly recommend watching this movie if you want to experience a frustrating display of inaccuracies and poor storytelling. However, be prepared for an awful experience due to its inaccurate portrayal of the remarkable real-life events. It’s disappointing to see such an important story mishandled and turned into a lackluster film that fails to capture the true heroism and professionalism of the individuals involved. So, if you’re an aviation enthusiast or simply someone who appreciates well-made movies, “On a Wing and a Prayer” is likely to leave you disappointed and wondering how such a fascinating real-life incident could be portrayed so poorly on the big screen. Happy flying!
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‘Airplane’ is way more inaccurate :-|
But that’s not really the point of Airplane
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Y’all ever watched Denzel Washignton’s “Flight”?
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Don’t even get me started 🤣
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