The Tragic True Story Behind the Movie Flight

The Inspiration Behind Flight

Flight, directed by Robert Zemeckis and starring Denzel Washington, tells the fictitious story of Flight 277 and its pilot William 'Whip' Whitaker. However, the movie was inspired by a real-life event involving a pilot actually inverting a commercial airplane in an attempt to stabilize and save the lives of its passengers.

Whip Whitaker flies the plane as it crashes

The true story behind Flight is way more tragic than the fictional version depicted in the movie. The movie was loosely based on the real-life Alaska Airlines Flight 261, which crashed into the Pacific Ocean on January 31, 2000, tragically resulting in the loss of all 88 people on board. The unique maneuver used in the movie as well as some of the circumstances surrounding the crash were inspired by this real-life event, but the outcome was very different.

Charlie and Hugh confronting Whip Whittaker in Flight

Denzel Washington's Preparation

Denzel Washington prepared for the role of Whip Whitaker by practicing on a flight simulator. He not only learned how to convincingly perform as a pilot but also had to authentically portray someone battling addiction, a central theme in the movie.

Denzel Washington in Flight

In Flight, Whip Whitaker confesses to being inebriated while piloting Flight 277 and saving the airplane from mechanical failure. This raised moral and ethical questions about Whitaker's situation, having successfully saved most of the lives of the passengers but also putting them in danger by flying the plane while intoxicated.

Whip looking at the plane crash wreck in Flight

The Creation of Whip Whitaker

The protagonist of Flight, pilot Whip Whitaker, was created for the movie and is not based on any real person. The character was imagined by screenwriter John Gatins after a conversation with an off-duty pilot on a flight, which made Gatins realize the personal struggles of commercial airline pilots.

Denzel Washington looking intense piloting a plane in Flight

Whip's battle with addiction and the moral and ethical questions surrounding his actions are central to the narrative of Flight. Director Robert Zemeckis was drawn to the screenplay due to its portrayal of Whip's sense of disconnection and isolation, which he compared to a similar sense depicted in his previous film, Back To The Future.

Whip Whitaker in his pilot uniform in Flight