Factual error: Whenever the fire extinguisher is activated for a jet engine, that engine becomes inoperable. In the movie, the co-pilot first activates the extinguisher for the left engine, and 30 seconds later, for the right engine. At that point, both engines should be shut down. However, the engines are still operating (and revving up) and Whitaker even asks Margaret to apply full power, which is also audible. (00:23:00)
Factual error: When flight 227 departs Orlando, the thrust increases for 3 minutes. It should have increased for 30 seconds.
Factual error: During the emergency, Whip instructs Ken to dump fuel, and fuel is seen spraying out of the nozzle on the wing. MD-80 family aircraft are not equipped with fuel dump capabilities.
Factual error: During the pre-flight scene, in the exterior shot panning from the control tower down to the aircraft parked at the gate, the sign on the jetway indicates gate A27, when there is in fact no such gate at Orlando International Airport.
Factual error: When Denzel checks his iphone, the lock screen shows a date of October 20 and the time is 1:17. After unlocking the screen, the calendar icon on the phone shows the 8th as the date, and the time as 8:52. The battery remaining also changes.
Factual error: During both the takeoff and (crash) landing sequences, the altimeter is shown close to an altitude of zero. An aircraft altimeter is always set so that "0" represents sea level, not the local ground level.
Suggested correction: Nope, the altimeter can be set to either ground level or sea level. Common practice is sea level, but it's pilots' discretion. In fact, pilots receive in-route weather reports in a standard format that includes BOTH barometric settings - one for elevation above mean sea level (information code QNH), and one for altitude for the airfield of interest (information code QNH).
Suggested correction: I reviewed the clips, and didn't see what you described. Height of Orlando MCO airport is only 96 feet above sea level, so the altimeter looks OK there. The last shot of the altimeter before the crash is 1000 feet and the scenery seems to match. The ATC also radios that they are passing 1000 feet - check. And the radar altimeter is calling out terrain at 60, 50, 40... just before the crash. Don't think this is a mistake.
Factual error: When Whip finishes his walk-around, he meets his First Officer and asks: "have we met before?" or something like that. In the real life, you meet your crew in the crew room, give them a thorough briefing, so when you go to an airplane, you already know the people you're going to work with. That's the place you introduce yourself, not the flight deck. It's impossible to meet your FO on the flight deck, without having met him first in the briefing room.
Factual error: When the plane's altitude decreases from 28,000 to 27,000 ft on the altimeter, the digits to the right of the 8/7 do not change.
