Flight Page #13

WHIP:

I’m good with coffee.

CHARLIE:

Len Caldwell was really trying to

get here this morning.

(Whip seems lost)

Len is the president of the pilots’

union and he wanted to be here with

us and meet with you but they

wanted him at the crash site. So..

WHIP is quiet, anxious to hear the purpose of the meeting.

CHARLIE (CONT’D)

Whip, as you know, when a plane

crashes, the NTSB sends a “go team”

to the crash site immediately.

WHIP:

They find the flight data

recorders?

CHARLIE:

Yes they found them, perfectly

intact.

WHIP:

Great. That solves everything.

The recorders will tell the story.

Why do we need a lawyer from

Chicago?

CHARLIE:

Hugh’s an attorney who specializes

in criminal negligence-

WHIP:

Criminal negligence?

The WAITRESS returns with the coffee. It’s quiet as they

wait for her to finish. She does.

69.

HUGH:

Death demands responsibility. Six

dead on that plane, someone has to

pay.

WHIP:

The plane fell apart at 30 thousand

feet.

CHARLIE:

The airline will try to prove

equipment failure. Which would

make the manufacturer responsible.

The manufacturer of the plane will

try to prove poor maintenance of

the equipment by the airline.

HUGH:

Or pilot error.

WHIP:

I had to fly that plane inverted,

that means upside down, Hugh. Do

you get the picture? 100

passengers hanging upside down, 500

feet off the ground. Do you have

any idea what that sounds like?

HUGH:

I do. I heard the black box last

night.

WHIP:

Are you a pilot?

HUGH LANG:

No I’m not.

WHIP:

Then you don’t know what the f***

you’re talking about.

CHARLIE:

Hugh’s on our team and it’s the

NTSB’s ball game. They run the

investigation and they will

ultimately rule on the cause.

HUGH:

They interview the entire flight

crew and the passengers. They hold

public hearings

70.

WHIP:

Charlie, what do I need to know?

I’m already tired of this guy.

HUGH:

The NTSB ‘go team’ collects blood,

skin and hair from the flight crew

for a toxicology report.

WHIP studies the two men, trying to read their poker hands.

WHIP:

When did they do that?

HUGH:

In the hospital. It’s the first

thing they do. Do you remember

having your blood drawn on the

night of the crash?

WHIP looks at CHARLIE and then to HUGH...

WHIP:

Do they have the results of these

blood tests?

HUGH:

Yeah, they do.

The WAITRESS checks in.

WAITRESS:

Anything else for you gentlemen?

WHIP:

Did I just see warm cinnamon rolls

come out?

WAITRESS:

Yes sir.

WHIP:

Bring me one wouldya? Actually

bring me two, okay sweetie?

WAITRESS:

Comin’ up.

An awkward silence as they wait for her to clear out.

HUGH:

An initial report shows alcohol in

your bloodstream at a level of .24.

In the U.S.

71.

-- one of the most lenient drunk

driving countries in the world --

you go to jail for driving with a

number over .08. And by driving, I

mean a car.

They all digest the information as the WAITRESS delivers the

cinnamon rolls. She leaves. It’s still quiet.

WHIP:

What does that mean? I had a beer

the night before I flew. And

what...That made the tail of the

plane explode?

CHARLIE:

Separate issues Whip-

WHIP:

I need a lawyer.

CHARLIE:

Hugh is your lawyer.

WHIP:

I need a bigger lawyer. A lawyer

who understands that I flew a

broken plane and without me at that

stick there’d be 102 funerals, not

6.

HUGH:

We’re talking about prison not

funerals. Somebody has-

WHIP:

To write checks, well it’s not me I

promise you that. And as long as

they’re writing checks, write me

one because someone put me in a

broken plane. I’d love a check.

CHARLIE:

Easy Whip-

HUGH:

This tox report states that you

were drunk and high on cocaine,

felonies punishable by 24 years in

jail. And if your intoxication is

proven to have caused the death of

the 4 passengers you’ll get 4

counts of manslaughter. That could

be life in prison.

72.

Can I now do my job on your behalf

and kill this tox report?

WHIP is listening. CHARLIE tries to reign it in.

CHARLIE:

He’ll get it done, Whip. It’s what

his entire life is about. Trust

me, trust him.

(Whip stares at Hugh)

Don’t worry Whip, you’re gonna walk

away the hero you deserve to be.

WHIP:

I’m not worried, Charlie. I promise

you that. No one could have landed

that plane like I did, no one.

68 The WAITRESS returns with a coffee pot. WHIP leaves. 68

INT. ST. REGIS HOTEL -- LOUNGE -- DAY

Close on TV -- A SPLIT SCREEN -- CNN’s PIERS MORGAN on one

side of the screen asking questions of JIM TILMON, an

aviation expert.

WE NOW SEE A PHOTO OF WHIP IN HIS SOUTHJET AIRLINE UNIFORM.

PIERS MORGAN:

Captain Tilmon, we wanna play a

portion of the black box that all

of the news outlets have grabbed

hold of...

WHIP:

(on television)

When I ask for power, push both of

these forward. Got it? What’s your

son’s name?

WIDER...WHIP STEPS UP TO THE BAR, GLANCING AROUND.

The BARTENDER steps up to serve WHIP...

BARTENDER:

What’ll you have?

WHIP:

Can I get an orange juice?

The BARTENDER leaves to grab the orange juice.

73.

TELEVISION -- The transcription and AUDIO of the cockpit

recording continues...

MARGARET (O.S.)

Trevor.

WHIP (O.S.)

Say “I love you Trevor.”

MARGARET (O.S.)

Why?

WHIP (O.S.)

The black box.

MARGARET (O.S.)

I love you Trevor. Be a good boy.

Mommy loves you.

The BARTENDER returns with the orange juice.

BARTENDER:

That’s it?

WHIP:

And a double shot of Stoli.

The BARTENDER nods and turns in acknowledgement of the order.

PIERS MORGAN:

(on television)

Wow. That audio paints a strong

picture. Captain Whitaker is

surely a hero in my opinion.

JIM TILMON:

(on television)

Absolutely. However, every

incident is different. The actions

of the pilots on SouthJet 227 will

be heavily scrutinized. It’s

protocol for any investigation.

The BARTENDER returns with a frosted glass and pours two

shots over the ice.

WHIP downs the vodka in a flash.

The OTHER BARTENDER has the remote and starts searching for

more coverage of the crash. He stops at a local report.

ON TELEVISION WE SEE

74.

EXT. CRASH SITE -- DAY

A REPORTER gives a lead in at the crash site.

CRASH SITE REPORTER #1

Kevin, it’s still chaotic here at

the site. Apparently a small

ministry was conducting services

near to where the plane came down.

So the scene here is a mix of

survivors and first responders, I

was able to catch up with an actual

passenger moments ago...

A YOUNG SHORT HAIRED BLONDE MAN GIVES HIS ACCOUNT

PASSENGER 1

We were in a nose dive and people

were screaming and yelling and then

the plane turned upside down and we

had to hold on to our seat belts to

keep from falling out of our chairs

-- I saw one kid fall to the floor

and this flight attendant picked

him up and handed him to his

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