''Coded Hostile'', also known in the United States, and in other international jurisdictions, as ''Tailspin: Behind the Korean Airliner Tragedy'', is a 1989 British

television film A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie, telefilm, telemovie or TV film/movie, is a film with a running time similar to a feature film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a Terrestr ...

directed by David Darlow and written by Brian Phelan, about the real life shoot-down of Korean Air Flight 007. The film stars Michael Murphy,

Michael Moriarty Michael Moriarty (born April 5, 1941) is an American-Canadian actor. He received an Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award for his role as a Nazi SS officer in the 1978 miniseries ''Holocaust'' and a Tony Award in 1974 for his performance in the ...

, Chris Sarandon,

Harris Yulin Harris Bart Goldberg (November 5, 1937 – June 10, 2025), known professionally as Harris Yulin, was an American actor who appeared in over a hundred film and television series roles, such as '' Night Moves'' (1975; filmed in 1973) with Gene Hack ...

, Otto Jarman and Bradley Lavelle. It was produced by

Granada Television ITV Granada, formerly known as Granada Television, is the ITV (TV network), ITV franchisee for the North West of England and Isle of Man. From 1956 to 1968 it broadcast to both the north west and Yorkshire on weekdays only, as ABC Weekend TV, ...

, and first screened on ITV on 7 September 1989. A revised version was screened by

Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by Channel Four Television Corporation. It is state-owned enterprise, publicly owned but, unlike the BBC, it receives no public funding and is funded en ...

on 31 August 1993 to include details of subsequent events.

Plot

Cast

STATE DEPARTMENT: * Michael Murphy as Assistant U.S. Secretary of State Richard Burt * Debora Weston as Carol * Colin Bruce as Dave * Marc Smith as Mort * Bill Bailey as Military * Peter Whitman and Francine Body as Watch Officers * Alexander Webb as Aide PENTAGON: *

as Major Hank Daniels *

as General Tyson * Jay Patterson as Gene * Shane Rimmer as Admiral Riley * Nic D'Avirro as Norman * Weston Gavin as Vince * Stephen Hoye as Captain Beales * Eugene Brell and Colin Stinson as Operators * Thomasine Heiner as Mrs. Tyson NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL: * Chris Sarandon as John Lenczowski *

Rolf Saxon Rolf Saxon (born July 7, 1955) is an American stage, film, and television actor. He is known for his role as William Donloe in '' Mission: Impossible'' and '' Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning'', as well as for his voice-over work in n ...

as Frank * Lee Calder as Secretary * Angus MacInnes as Marilees * William Roberts as Villiger * Vincent Marzello as Military Rep *

Brian Greene Brian Randolph Greene (born February 9, 1963) is an American physicist known for his research on string theory. He is a professor of physics and mathematics at Columbia University, director of its center for theoretical physics, and the cha ...

as Staff Member * Cliff Taylor as Typist MISAWA LISTENING POST: * Ed O'Ross as Sergeant Duffy * Gavan O'Herlihy as Sergeant Muller * George Roth as Captain Ames * Mark Burton as Levin * Otto Jarman as Clark * Bradley Lavelle as Jamie * Kieron Jecchinis as Coles * Matthew Freeman as Aaron * Andrea Browne and James Tillitt as Operatives COBRA BALL: * Keith Edwards as Officer * Robert Jezek as Co-Pilot TV NEWS: * Garrick Hagon as Anchorman * Jana Shelden as Jane Leonart LAWYERS: *

Michael Shannon Michael Corbett Shannon (born August 7, 1974) is an American actor. Shannon received two Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor nominations, for '' Revolutionary Road'' (2008), and '' Nocturnal Animals'' (2016). He received Screen Actors Guil ...

as Grover * Joris Stuyck as Sherman SOVIET AIR DEFENCES: * Tomasz Borkowy as Major Kasmin * Boris Isarov as Commander * Alexei Jawdokimov as Aide * Stéphane Cornicard as Radar Operator KOREAN AIRLINES: * Togo Igawa as Captain Chun * Takeshi Kawahara as Co-Pilot Flight 007 * Soon-Tek Oh as Captain Park * Eddie Yeo as Co-Pilot Flight 015

International broadcasts

The film was first shown by

HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television service, which is the flagship property of namesake parent-subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is based a ...

in the United States as ''Tailspin: Behind the Korean Airliner Tragedy'' on 20 August 1989.

References

External links

* {{IMDb title, 0098430, Tailspin: Behind the Korean Airliner Tragedy 1989 television films British thriller television films 1989 thriller films Films set in 1983 1980s English-language films English-language thriller films

Plot

Cast

International broadcasts

See also

References

External links