Two Hundred and Twenty-Seven Minutes of Hate

Originally Aired: February 24, 1957 Suspense #687, "Two Hundred and Twenty-Seven Minutes of Hate," opens with a crisis that has Lieutenant McDougall scrambling for answers. Bill Rand from Hillway Airport reports that a man named Charles Regan has stolen a plane at gunpoint—but there's a terrifying catch: Regan can't fly. Now he's circling erratically over the city, buzzing houses on Delaplane Avenue and rolling his wheels across the courthouse roof, threatening to crash at any moment. McDougall and Sergeant Kelly attempt every option—contacting the Air Force base, alerting civil defense, trying to reach Regan by radio—but nothing works. The plane's radio is turned down too low to hear over the engine noise, and jets can't fly slow enough to intercept him. With no way to bring Regan down from the ground, McDougall realizes this might be a suicide attempt. The only hope is to understand why Regan is doing this. McDougall and Kelly race to Regan's address, hoping his wife can provide answers that might save lives before the inevitable crash occurs. As calls flood the detective bureau and panic spreads through the city, the clock is ticking on a disaster only understanding can prevent.