David Grant, a U.S. intelligence expert, believes that the hijacking of the 747 plane is part of a larger terrorist plan to release their leader and launch a deadly attack on Washington D.C. He convinces a skeptical government officials to allow him to join a team of special forces soldiers on a risky mission to infiltrate the plane and stop the terrorists.
The team is led by Lt. Colonel Austin Travis (Steven Seagal) and includes pilot Dennis Cahill (Oliver Platt). They board a smaller plane that is docked to the underside of the hijacked 747 and attempt to enter the plane through the cargo hold.
Once inside, they face numerous challenges including a booby-trapped bomb, limited oxygen, and hostile terrorists. Despite these obstacles, they manage to make their way to the cockpit and gain control of the plane.
However, the terrorists manage to set a timer on a bomb that is attached to a nerve gas canister onboard the plane. With only minutes left before it detonates, Grant and Travis must race against the clock to deactivate the bomb and save the lives of the passengers and crew.
In the end, the mission is successful but not without sacrifices. Cahill is killed during the operation, and Grant is left with a sense of guilt for putting his team in danger. But the larger threat to national security is neutralized, and the country is safe once again.