Hoosiermama, I see two crucial problems w the plot above. First, three can keep a secret if two of them are dead. I.e.: there is too slim a chance that eight or nine ppl cd safeguard such a secret. My $ wd be on Puentes to spill the beans. He just seems like that type of person/personality [though that is a superficial impression; I don’t claim to know him well].
More importantly, you wd once again face the problem (mentioned previously) of finding 8 or 9 ppl willing to endure a forced sea landing. This is the most dangerous type of forced landing. Granted there is an 80% survival rate [of the initial impact; the odds of dying shoot up in the aftermath (though most of that is hypthermia-related, & wdn’t apply to HI)] but look at it this way. Someone hands you a five-shot pistol. They tell you only one bullet is in the chamber. So give it a spin, put the barrel to your ear and pull the trigger.
Anyone who wd do this is (1) young, (2) drunk, and/or (3) stupid. A one in five chance of dying is too high a risk for any intelligent, commonsense individual to take unnecessarily.
[Note: the 80% survival rate includes those who survive w injuries. So in addition to worrying about whether they wd live or die, the participants in this scheme wd also be worried about possible injuries. For instance, in the Miracle on the Hudson flt I mentioned previously, all survived but five sustained serious injuries, including deep gashes and a cracked sternum.]
Which isn’t to say a very good novel cd not be fashioned from these basic ingredients. It most likely cd be. To be believable, however, it wd need to overcome the hurdles mentioned, imho.
SO if we go with your first premise: keeping secrets and people dying should we expect some unfortunate accidents in the near/ distant future?
Motivation to be apart of this. 1. $$$$$ 2. loyalty ( particularly if you/ hour group don’t want to be part of or feel threatened by an organized group - like the government! Think of it as the HI version of the French underground)
Re: landing. Wasn’t the pilot not registered with the airline but a last minute replacement. What’s his background? In the movie I’d use a military-special force trained stunt pilot. Photographer says they’ve become good friends. I’d have them serving together years ago as part of a team. In fact maybe others on board could have been united this way in a previous war a brotherhood -A team reunion Another sub plot. One more death defying mission for the death defying (maybe once rediculed team)
The photographer taking pictures for his dad who’s in a wheelchair and can’t take part
The plot thickens!