Mayday at 40,000 Feet! (aka Panic in the Open Sky and Mayday: 40,000 ft!) is a 1976 American made-for-television drama film, directed by Robert Butler. The film stars David Janssen, Don Meredith and Christopher George, along with an all-star cast primarily playing the roles of passengers and crew aboard an airliner in crisis.Robert Butler was "... one of the premium directors of series TV through four decades", although he also became a specialist in "one-off" television and film features. Mayday at 40,000 Feet! was an example of the 1970s "disaster" film, as well, it also very much fits the additional genre of the complex, heavily character-driven ensemble cast picture. The film explores the personal dramas and interactions that develop among the passengers and crew as they deal with a deadly onboard emergency.