No version of the DC-9 / MD-80 has the ability to dump fuel.
In order to fly above the bad weather, the pilot requests clearance for 40,000 feet. However the maximum cruising altitude for that airplane, (McDonnell Douglas MD-80), is only 37,000 feet.
As the plane enters the storm, Capt. Torrance requests clearance to 40,000ft, but just prior to that, a shot of the altimeter already showed 40,000ft.
They are directed to an island 50 miles due South then given a heading of 015. That is a heading 15 degrees East of North, completely the wrong direction.
They very clearly say "TO fifteen degrees". If they meant 215 they would have said TWO ONE FIVE degrees. This was also verified in subtitles on a digital copy.
No pilot asks for forty thousand feet. They ask for flight level four zero zero.
After the decent to the island, the cabin is seen with oxygen masks only being dropped above the seats that were occupied. In reality, the masks would drop for every seat. However, the dropping was triggered by an electrical malfunction, rather than a drop in cabin pressure, so it could have affected only some of the masks.
The airline in the movie is based in NewYork but is flying a route from Singapore to Japan. It is EXTREMELY unlikely for an airline to have a route between two other countries it is not based in without first stopping in its home country. This is known as the 7th freedom of the air and is very rare to be granted.
It is very rare and "EXTREMELY unlikely" for an airliner to stop first in the USA on the way from Singapore to Japan.
It is very rare and "EXTREMELY unlikely" for an airliner to stop first in the USA on the way from Singapore to Japan.
The plane loses all electronics but when they try to land, there is an electronic warning announcing "Low altitude".
EDIT: The pilot makes the comment "Well, THAT still works" so it not a goof, per se.
The poster for the movie shows a plane in the background with wing-mounted engines, however, in the movie the plane features twin, tail-mounted engines similar to the MD-80.
Movie posters are not the responsibility of the movie makers.
Movie posters are not the responsibility of the movie makers.
When they lose their electrical system (highly improbable), it's dawn, and there's absolutely NO REASON to ditch the airplane or land on the island. It's a flyable airplane with plenty of fuel.
Flyable? No avionics, meaning the radio is out, no navigation systems (GPS is out), no dials, gauges or instruments, and with the fuel system out, it won't be flyable for long.
Flyable? No avionics, meaning the radio is out, no navigation systems (GPS is out), no dials, gauges or instruments, and with the fuel system out, it won't be flyable for long.
After pilot announces for clearing take off from Singapore, camera shows a flight computer, which indicates flight is at 40000 feet and 250knots. But, plane is on the ground and at full stop.
On the airport departures board in the beginning of the movie, several destinations are spelled incorrectly: Syndey (Sydney), Soeul (Seoul), Osaka/Kensai (Osaka/Kansai).
The exterior shots of the airplane are of a McDonnell Douglas MD-80 series aircraft. The cabin shots are of the same plane but all of the Flight Deck ( cockpit ) shots are of an AirBus A320 series aircraft, with the addition of a control yoke that is not found on Airbus aircraft after the A300/A310 series of aircraft. Airbus aircraft have used side sticks since the A320 first flew in 1987.
The crew is told there's a landing strip 50 miles away, and they're able to reach it 45 seconds later with no indication that more time has passed. At their stated speed of 135 knots, it would have taken them 20 minutes to cover that distance.
When the pilot gets back to the cockpit after checking on the passengers, he sits down and he and the copilot start going through the emergency checklist. While they are doing this when the scene goes back and forth from pilot to copilot the copilot's seat belt is on in one shot and off the next. He doesn't have time to take off his belts and then put them back on. And he wouldn't do that anyway.
The prisoner is wearing a gold necklace throughout the movie.
An air traffic controller refers to "40,000 feet." They would refer to it as FL400.
When characters talk on the radio, they are heard using the number "nine." In aviation radio communications, however, this should always be pronounced as "niner" to avoid confusion with the similar sounding number "five."