The Six Million Dollar Man: Pilot Error

episode number: season 2, episode 3 (1974)
viewing setting: home DVD, 1/24/11

episode synopsis: A plane carrying Steve and three other guys crash-lands in the desert, and despite being blinded, Steve must save them.

impressions: This was little more than a drama episode that could have happened on any TV series, except for the bionics. There were incidences of stupidity, such as a guy not being able to admit that he's got a problem - while FLYING A PLANE - or the other peoples' apparent inability to see that their pilot has issues. Also there's a pseudo-evil treacherous character (who I at least identified as such the first time he appeared.) At the end, Steve has a nice moment with the air traffic controller chick who was largely to thank for getting the plane down in one piece. All in all, this was at best a good episode, but not a great one.

notable guest star: Pat Hingle (who played Commissioner Gordon in Batman and Robin is the senator/pilot. Alfred Ryder (who, among other TV role, played Professor Crater in the classic Star Trek season 1 episode "The Man Trap") is the senator's treacherous-looking aide who does nothing but look worried and complain all the time. A young Susanne Zenor (who had many TV roles, most notably in Days of our Lives) is a heads-up military air traffic controller.

significant bionic antics: Steve lifts a car, fixes bent propellors, moves big rocks, and fights off a venomous snake. Also (and this isn't bionic but it's still an antic) he lands a plane while blind.

back to the main review page