Top 7 Movies on Plane Crashes Based on Real-Life Incidents

Movies on Plane Crashes: Plane crash tales based on true events capture audiences with their hard-hitting drama, human strength, and survival instinct. These movies not just entertain but also bring to the fore the difficulties of aviation tragedies and the strength of the human psyche. Here are seven action-packed movies based on real plane crashes.

1. Sully (2016)

Based on: US Airways Flight 1549
Tom Hanks plays Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger, who ditched an Airbus A320 on the Hudson River when bird strikes had left both engines shut down. 155 passengers were saved.
Available on: Amazon Prime Video

2. Alive (1993)

Based on: 1972 Andes Flight Disaster
This gripping story of Uruguayan rugby team members trapped in the Andes demonstrates their extraordinary will to survive in sub-zero temperatures after their plane crash.
Watch on: YouTube (Rent), Apple TV

3. The Impossible (2012)

Inspired by: 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami
Not a plane crash per se, but this survival movie begins with a family on vacation who find themselves caught up in the tsunami after the flight. It’s aviation-related disaster travel.
Watch on: Netflix

4. United 93 (2006)

Based on: United Airlines Flight 93 (9/11 Attacks)
A suspenseful real-time reenactment of the hijacked aeroplane during the 9/11 attacks. The movie pays tribute to the passengers who attempted to retake control of the aircraft.
Watch on: Amazon Prime Video

5. Flight (2012)

Inspired by: Alaska Airlines Flight 261
Though not a direct adaptation, this Denzel Washington-starring movie mirrors a pilot’s heroic action in the middle of an inflight malfunction.
Watch on: Netflix, Amazon Prime

6. The Flight of the Phoenix (2004)

Based on: 1950s Sahara Desert crash
A recreation of the 1965 movie, the survival story of plane crash survivors in the desert who construct a plane to fly away.
Watch on: Disney+

7. Charlie Victor Romeo (2013)

Based on: Actual cockpit voice recordings
A one-of-a-kind movie dramatising actual CVR (Cockpit Voice Recorder) transcripts of in-flight emergencies.
Watch on: Apple TV

Also Read: Top 10 Deadliest Plane Crashes in Indian Aviation History

These movies make fans witness real-world aviation disasters and successes more closely, demonstrating how a split second can determine history in the skies.