propliner
close...the airline was called : Consolidated Airlines.
The plane may have been many pieces including what you said, but it was basically a prop airliner without the props/engines and two jets stuck under the horizontal fin.
the actors were Glen Ford, Suzanne Pleshette (who was the ONLY survivor, a flight attendant who witnessed what happened in the cockpit) and Rod Taylor as the captain. It was filmed in Black and White. I saw it in the theatre when it first came out and whenver there is a major crash I watch it on tape as it reminds me of how many things can add up to make a disaster.
"THE HIGH AND THE MIGHTY" a different film, in color starred john wayne, and the most memorable moment to anyone who has ever been a copilot had JOHN WAYNE slap the Captain's face (Robert Stack, AKA elliot ness) and convinced him not to ditch. The music, the theme from the high and the mighty was a big hit...great words too.
bob newhart, the great comedian, had a great routine about the pilot of a normal airliner coming back through the cabin and whistling, the theme from the high and the mighty.
I would also highly reccomend another john wayne movie from an EKG book called, "island in the sky". just great, especially if you like DC3's.
I get a kick out of seeing what people like and don't like in the world of movies and planes...and any pilot who could dismiss the book "Fate is the Hunter" hasn't ever been scared in flying.
and if you haven't been scared at least once, maybe you have never flown much.