Ceiling Zero

Ceiling Zero is a 1936 adventuredrama film directed by Howard Hawks and starring James Cagney and Pat OBrien. The picture stars Cagney as daredevil womanizing pilot Dizzy Davis and OBrien as Jake Lee, his war veteran buddy and the operations manager of an airline company. Based on a stage play of the same name, the film blends drama with some light comedy. The title, as defined at the beginning of the picture, is an insider term referring to those moments when the sky is so thick with fog that navigating an aircraft is nearly impossible.

Jake hires Dizzy as an airmail pilot. Dizzy is immediately attracted to Tommy Thomas June Travis, a 19yearold girl also working there, who has just learned to fly solo. In order to go on a date with her, Dizzy, scheduled for a flight to Cincinnati in the evening, pretends he is suddenly sick and gets Tex to replace him. Tex makes it to Ohio, but on the way back to New Jersey, finds himself in a cold and heavy fog. Though there is zero visibility and he is having radio problems, he attempts to land in Newark. He crashes into one of the airport hangars and the aircraft catches on fire. Tex is taken to the hospital where he later dies.Texs wife Lou Isabel Jewell, who was never very fond of Dizzy, blames him for her husbands death. She calls him selfish and irresponsible and says that he hurts everything he touches. Dizzy, overwhelmed with guilt, returns to the airport. Meanwhile, the weather has gotten even worse and Jake has canceled all other flights. In addition, the aviation authorities have revoked Dizzys pilot license, for extraneous reasons. Jake consoles Dizzy on account of both losses and then goes home for the night, leaving him temporarily in charge. Another pilot, unaware of the cancellation, comes into the operations building, ready for his normally scheduled flight. ........

Source: Wikipedia