EDITOR’S NOTE: Deadly Encounter was on the CBS Late Movie on November 26, 1986 and January 4, 1988.

William A. Graham (The Hunt for the Unicorn Killer) directed this Larry Hagman-starring movie, which was written by David J. Kinghorn (The Golden Gate Murders) and Robert Boris (Dr. Detroit). Hagman is Sam, a helicopter pilot pulled into a scheme by Chris Butler (Susan Anspach), an ex-girlfriend whose husband has just been killed by some criminals. He has a black book that can put all of them away, as long as she can get it before they do.

Graham and Boris also made another helicopter TV movie, Birds of Prey, which starred David Janssen. Unfortunately, three people died making this film. The Hughes Model​ 500 (369HS) that Hagman flies in the movie crashed when it collided with a cable. Owner Glen Miller (who plays Pocotello Pete in this movie), Diane Doherty and costumer Frank Novak all were lost in the tragedy.

This is the end of when real planes and helicopters were used for stunts. As a result, aviation lovers are super into this movie, as the IMDB review section will prove. It also has a great synth soundtrack, written by Michael Hoenig (Galaxy of Terror, Koyaanisqatsi) and Fred Carlin (Bad Ronald) and played by J. Peter Robinson, who scored The Wraith. Robinson also appears in the video for Phil Collins’ “Don’t Lose My Number,” playing the gyro pilot as Phil becomes Mad Max.

You can watch this on YouTube.