Epic disaster movie, directed by Henry Hathaway and Geroge Seaton, following 12 harrowing hours at a major Midwestern airport as a blizzard causes mayhem, a runway is blocked by an airliner stuck in a snowdrift and a madman blows a hole in the side of an airliner. As the disasters unfold, the besieged airport manager attempts to keep the airport running while dealing with his own marital problems and a governing board ready to fire him.