Plot Summary:Everybody expected military flight Boxtop 22 from Thule into the vast frozen wilderness of Canada's North Western territories to be boring routine, but in a matter of minutes a crash reduces Gulf War veteran pilot Captain John Couch's crew and passengers to ever-growing despair. First they consider themselves relatively lucky as 14 out of 18 aboard are alive, including Captain Wilma De Groot, a medical doctor, but as time progresses the merciless cold makes it seem hopeless to check on Bob and Sue, who cannot be moved near the only campfire, while rescue attempts on land from Alert ('only' about 10 miles) and by air from Edmonton (8 hours flying) take no less then 32 hours to reach the plane wreck...
加拿大位于北极圈内,有一个地球最北的人类居住基地,负责补给此基地的运输机往返其中。1991年,一架代号为「极点22」的运输机在北极冰原上坠毁,机上18名机组员与乘客中,最后只有13名幸免于难。机长约翰(Richard Chamberlain)在飞机坠毁后,仍不畏严寒,努力为失去行动能力的两名伤者取暖、打气。这两名伤者虽然存活下来,但约翰却因为冻伤而致死,而其余生还人员,在彼此互相加油打气下,撑过严寒的侵袭,终于盼到搜救队前来救援。