Murder on Flight 502 is a 1975 American made-for-television drama mystery thriller film directed by George McCowan. The film stars Robert Stack, Sonny Bono and Farrah Fawcett, along with an all-star ensemble television cast in supporting roles.
A jumbo jet leaves New York. After the plane has departed, a note is found in the first class lounge with an ominous message left by a passenger threatening to kill some of the passengers. At first it is thought to be a sick joke, but soon a man posing as a priest and a stewardess are killed. It is up to the captain to find the killer before the body count increases.
Tropes:
- And I'm the Queen of Sheba: Mystery writer Mona Briarly recognizes fellow passenger Paul Barons as someone connected to a bank robbery in New York from which the money was never recovered:Paul Barons: ...I'm a buyer for a dress house in New York.
Vera Franklin: And I'm the Happy Hooker. - Bad Habits: Father Thomas Healey turns out to be convicted felon named Hoffman who is travelling on the dead priest's passport.
- Closed Circle: The murders occur on a jumbo jet flying above the Atlantic, meaning that no one can enter or leave the crime scene.
- Cover Identity Anomaly: Mona Briarly becomes suspicious that Father Thomas Healey is not a real priest when he makes no move to offer last rites when Dr. Walker is working to save Otto Gruenwaldt from a potentially fatal heart attack. Later, she speaks to him and gets a look at his hands and observes he wearing nail polish.
- Dead Man's Chest: A break in the investigation comes when a priest on board is revealed as an imposter and a known thief. Detective Myerson looks for the priest, but finds him dead and stuffed in the dumbwaiter in the galley.
- Death in the Clouds: A jumbo jet leaves New York. After the plane has departed, a note is found in the first class lounge with an ominous message left by a passenger threatening to kill some of the passengers. At first it is thought to be a sick joke, but soon a man posing as a priest and a stewardess are killed. It is up to the captain to find the killer before the body count increases.
- Detective Mole: Concerned that he may be at risk, passenger Paul Barons confesses to Detective Myerson that he committed the bank robbery, and that the priest and Franklin were both involved in smuggling the money out of the country on the aircraft. Barons says he is the next target. Myerson agrees and pulls out a gun, proving he is the killer, having snapped when Barons escaped justice for his crime after no proof was found.
- I Reject Your Reality: After murdering three people and being badly burned, Myerson—who had already been described as being on the edge of a complete nervous breakdown—has his mind completely snap and he is happily chatting to Larkin as he is led off the plane in handcuffs about how he will probably receive a commendation for his actions, and that he will recommend Larkin for one as well.
- I Take Offense to That Last One: When Paul Barons starts to crack up under the strain of being trapped on board an airliner over the Atlantic with a killer on the loose, he calls his seatmate Mona Briarly a "drunken broad". Mona replies that she'd normally object to the first partnote .
- Knight Templar: Myerson attempts to justify his actions, claiming he will be commended for protecting the people from criminals because he brought a thief to justice when the law would not.
- Man on Fire: Myerson's reckless shooting triggers a fire in the lounge, which sets fire to him.
- Moustache de Plume: When Paul Barons meets mystery writer Mona Briarly on the flight, he comments on how her works are influenced bya particular male crime writer, she responds by saying that is because she is him. She then lists several other 'male' writers that also pen-names of hers.Paul Barons: [to seatmate Mona Briarly, a well-known author] Why do you always choose male pen-names?
Mona Briarly: My first ex-husband said writing crime novels wasn't very lady-like. Turned out, he was lady-like enough for the both of us! - Murder by Mistake: Myerson kills Vera after he searches her case and finds the stolen money in it and so assumes she is Barons' partner in smuggling the money out of the country. However, Barons' real partner is Karen, who panicked after the murder threats were revealed and moved the money from her case to Vera's.
- The Prankster: Teenage passenger Millard Kensington is suspected of writing the death threat because he has a history with the airline as a known prankster. Although the teenager admits he did place the fake bomb in the passenger lobby, he is clueless about the letter.
- Sexy Stewardess: Farrah Fawcett plays head stewardess Karen White.
- Spanner in the Works: The killer left a letter addressed to Donaldson in the TWA passenger lounge, telling him about the murders to committed on Flight 502. The killer intended the letter to be delivered to Donaldson the next day when it would be too late to prevent the killers. However, Millard Kensington sets off a smoke bomb in the lounge as a prank, causing the letter to be discovered earlier and to Donaldson reading it before the murders have occurred.
- Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?: Mystery writer Mona Briarly is so scared of flying that she has to be a given a drink before the plane takes off so she doesn't start panicking when the seat belt sign goes on, and has to keep drinking throughout the flight to stay calm.
