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...