United States

An old twin-engined plane crashlands in the North African desert killing two of its passengers and injuring a third. The radio is out of action due to the incompetence of the radio engineer and the only hope of survival for the rest of the passengers is to ration their water supplies and hope for a rescue. But then German designer Hardy Kruger comes up with and ingenious alternative. He will design a single-engined aircraft from the wreckage providing the others will help in the construction and pilot James Stewart will attempt to fly them out. But will it work? It soon becomes apparent that if it doesn't all will die... This superbly executed mini-disaster movie boasts an all-star male cast - Stewart, Kruger, Richard Attenborough, Peter Finch, Ernest Borgnine, Ronald Fraser and Ian Bannen - and is directed by Hollywood film-maker Robert Aldrich.