Jungle Flight

Ex-Navy pilots Andy Melton and Kelly Jordan operate a two-plane freight line in South America, flying ore from the Las Rojos mines to La Cuenta, the local port. Andy has moved away from his wife and child, who are living in Texas, until he and Kelly can pay off the planes and move their operation across the border. When Kelly refuses to pick up a load of machinery because it would mean flying at night through the mountain pass, Andy accepts mine manager Case Hagin's offer of an extra $700, as the extra money will help pay off the loan for the planes. Kelly takes up Andy's challenge and follows him to La Cuenta, but decides to stay in town to party, rather than work. At a local hotel, meanwhile, American singer Laurey Roberts learns that her violent ex-husband, Tom Hammond, has followed her to La Cuenta, and Laurey begs Andy to let her fly with him. Already overloaded, Andy refuses to allow Laurey aboard the plane, and is forced to turn back shortly after take-off because his plane is unable to gain altitude. Laurey watches in horror as Andy is killed when his plane crashes into the airfield. She then brings the sad news to Kelly, who blames himself because Andy was trying to raise money that Kelly previously lost in a poker game. Not long after, Hammond confronts Laurey in her hotel room, and after burning their annulment papers, demands that she return to him. Laurey is terrified, as she left Hammond after discovering he was a crook, and convinces Kelly to fly her to Las Rojos, where she hopes to work as a cook. Hagin is saddened by Andy's death, but refuses to keep Laurey on until he tastes her cooking. To ease his conscience, Kelly has Hagin's accountant, Briggs, send half his salary to Andy's wife, and adds extra flights to his schedule. Kelly and Laurey soon fall in love with each other, but their romance is disrupted when a sick Hammond is rescued from the jungle, and tells Laurey he will kill Kelly if she reveals his true identity. Kelly, who is unaware of Laurey's relationship to Hammond, is hurt by her apparent change of heart. While in La Cuenta, Kelly mentions Hammond's appearance to police officer Costa, who recognizes his description as the man wanted for the murder of a Miami nightclub owner. Costa immediately flies to Las Rojos and arrests Hammond, who then implicates Laurey in his crime. Kelly is shocked that he was so easily duped by Laurey, and assumes she was leading him on. While flying back to La Cuenta, Hammond grabs Costa's gun and forces the pilot to turn toward the border, despite the pilot's protest that the plane is ill-equipped for high altitude flying. When the plane does not reach La Cuenta, Briggs and the mechanic, Pepe, inform Kelly that they saw the plane change course. Kelly and Pepe fly out and locate the site of the wreck, which is illuminated by a campfire. After a dangerous landing, they find Hammond and Laurey unharmed, but Costas and the pilot injured. When Kelly refuses to fly at gunpoint, Hammond shoots Pepe in the shoulder. As Kelly struggles with Hammond, Laurey grabs the gun and kills her ex-husband. On the return flight, Kelly and Laurey decide to marry and move to Texas, where they will look after Andy's family.