Flight Page #5

WHIP puts the mic to its hook. Alone in the galley and outof view, he quickly empties the vodkas into the orange juicebottle and replaces the cap. Whip shakes the juice as hetosses the little empties into the galley trash. Whip takesa healthy pull from the spiked juice, downing nearly half.

WHIP knocks on the cockpit door. MARGARET emerges and WHIP

disappears in to the cockpit.

INT. NICOLE’S APARTMENT -- ATLANTA -- DAY

Framed photos on a bureau show: Christmas around the tree

with Mom (30) and Dad (33) and a girl who’s 8 and a boy who’s

5. (In the reflection of this photo we see a flame cooking

heroin in a spoon.)

Another photo depicts an 8 year-old girl’s birthday party.

(In the reflection of this photo see wee Nicole tying off.)

A last photo shows NICOLE (30)and her mom (54). They are

both wearing kerchiefs. We can see that her mom is gaunt and

has no hair under her kerchief. (In the reflection of this

photo we see the needle injected into her arm.)

A HYPODERMIC NEEDLE is placed in front of that picture. Next

to the photos is a small CD station that NICOLE taps to life

and turns up. The opening bars of Michael Fitzpatrick’s

“Medication” begin to play.

We pull wide to see NICOLE pull the bra from her arm that she

used to tie off with. Her face is pure happiness.

Clothes and a peach crate filled with camera equipment join a

suitcase on its side that acts as a coffee table. NICOLE

picks up her camera and admires it before putting it down.

She picks up the cigarette she had staged pre dope fix andreaches for the lighter. She laughs and hums, pulls out gum,

a brush...She's holding the brush when the first heavy waveof narcotic death washes over her. She leans back and uses

the wall for support. “Medication” is hitting its chorus...

24.

NICOLE:

Oh man...

She puts her arms out at her sides, euphoria. A slow, sloppysmile breaks across her face. She exhales slowly. She

reaches for the now burning cigarette when the second wave ofheavy drugs hits. NICOLE looks up with fear.

NICOLE (cont'd) (CONT’D)

Oh no, oh no, oh no...

She reaches for the little bag of coke that KIP gave her.

Next she grabs her phone, flipping it open. As she tries to

dial it, she crumbles to her knees. NICOLE somewhat controls

her fall to the ground, but her eyes are fading. The little

bag of coke falls from her fingers.

There's no way to stem the tide of the oncoming overdose.

NICOLE’s arms stretch out in a frozen reach as her body sinksto the floor. On her back like a girl making angels in thesnow as her eyelids flutter, she slips away.

We hear a pounding on the door. FRAN is on the other side...

FRAN (O.S.)

Open up, Nicole! I can smell that

sh*t cooking! Open Up! Nicole.

Nicole!

INT. COCKPIT - DAY

WHIP is now passed out in the seat next to EVANS. He has twoapproach plates (charts) folded and tucked between hissunglasses and eyes, creating a makeshift sleeping mask. Hislower jaw hangs open as his head bobs in deep sleep.

Margaret leans in through the cockpit door talking to Evans.

MARGARET:

How long has Sleeping Beauty been

out?

EVANS maintains a military posture as he monitors the plane's

progress. The flight is smooth and the sky appears clear.

EVANS:

(looks at his watch)

26 minutes. We’re going to start

descending any second now.

MARGARET:

Well, I guess you’ll need to

wake...

25.

The radio interrupts...

ATC:

SouthJet 227, Atlanta Center.

Descend and maintain Flight Level

30 thousand.

EVANS:

Descend and maintain 30 thousand.

Evans dials 30,000 into the auto-pilot, but just as he rolls

the thumb switch to the “Descend” position...

BANG! THE PLANE SUDDENLY PITCHES SIDEWAYS

Instantly the autopilot’s Shut-Off SOUNDS.

WHIP jolts awake and pushes up his sleeping “shades.”

WHIP:

The f*** was that?

Evans grabs his yoke and pulls.

EVANS:

The stabilizer feels really stiff.

WHIP:

Don’t force it.

EVANS does, we HEAR a big mechanical SNAP.

MARGARET:

(referring to the noise)

That came from the back!

EVANS:

I have very little trim controlsir.

WHIP:

Margaret, get everybody strapped in

tight.

Margaret runs to the PA, leaving the cockpit door open.

EVANS:

It’s pulling right. Hard!

WHIP:

Sh*t! It's locked up, ease up onthe trim don't...

26.

BANG! THE PLANE PITCHES DOWN VIOLENTLY AND BEGINS A NOSE

DIVE.

EVANS:

(panic)

I have no trim at all!

The instrument panel LIGHTS UP like a Christmas tree -- A

WARNING HORN BLARES.

WHIP:

We lost our hydraulics!

WHIP pulls on his headset and keys his mic.

WHIP (CONT’D)

Center, this is SouthJet 227, we'velost our hydraulics...and, ah sh*t!

(to Evans)

Power. Pull back the power!

Evans pulls the throttles to idle.

WHIP (CONT’D)

(into his mic)

...we lost hydraulics and looks

like...also our horizontal

stabilizer.

ATC:

SouthJet 227, Atlanta Center.

Understand you’ve lost hydraulicsand stabilizer?

WHIP:

(to Evans)

Turn on the back-up pumps!

Evans engages the emergency hydraulic pumps.

WHIP (CONT’D)

(into mic)

Center, that’s affirm. We are in adescent, an uncontrolled...

WHOOOAAAAA!!!!

The plane starts to bank to the right, WHIP puts his handagainst the wing-window to stay in his seat. EVANS grabs hisharness with both hands. The passengers shriek with terror.

ATC:

SouthJet 227, do you wish to

declare an emergency!?

27.

MARGARET stumbles into the cockpit.

MARGARET:

Everyone's belted in. Are we goingdown?

The plane suddenly pitches up, begins to roll, and divesagain.

WHIP:

Get belted in, everyone belt in.

Brace position!

MARGARET rushes to the bench in the galley.

Whip grabs his yoke and pulls. The plane inches up.

WHIP (CONT’D)

I’ve got some control on my side!

My plane!

EVANS:

Your plane.

Whips keeps back pressure on his yoke.

EVANS (CONT’D)

It’s stiff as hell. We’re pitching

up. Slowing a bit.

ATC:

SouthJet 227, say your condition.

Whip continues to give orders to Evans.

WHIP:

We need drag. Throw out everything

we’ve got. Speed brakes. Gear...

(keys his mic)

Uh, Center we’re in a dive...lost

vertical control.

ATC:

SouthJet 227, Roger.

Evans deploys the landing gear and applies the speed brakes.

The wind ROARS as the gear doors drop. The airframe shakes

and rumbles violently.

WHIP:

(to Evans)

...there enough hydraulics to drop

the gear?

28.

EVANS:

Gear’s down. I don’t think

hydraulics is the problem.

WHIP:

Throw out the flaps.

EVANS:

Too fast for flaps.

WHIP:

We need to start dumping fuel.

Evans hesitates.

WHIP (CONT’D)

Do it!

Evans quickly throws the “EMRG FUEL DUMP” switch.

The airplane bucks and drops violently -- A chorus of

terrified SCREAMS ERUPTS from the main cabin.

Whip pulls on his yoke with all of his strength and the dive

shallows out a bit.

ATC:

(on radio)

SouthJet 227, Atlanta Center. How

do you hear?

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