Tom Kincaid and his wife, Anne, are looking forward to celebrating their anniversary at their winter cabin with their three children. Tom is a wealthy businessman who has built his fortune on a chain of furniture stores. Although successful in business, his domineering personality has torn his family apart. Always the mediator, Anne carries the burden of easing the tension between her husband and their children, Carla, Rick and Susan. On the morning of the trip, Tom and family wait impatiently at the airport for youngest daughter Susan, a rebellious teen. After learning that her ride got stuck in a storm on the way to the airport, Tom decides they should go ahead without her. Although the winds are fierce, he refuses to cancel or postpone the flight. As the private plane takes off with Tom at the helm, the storm intensifies. Soon the wings ice up, throwing the plane out of control and into a mountain. The family must trust and rely on each other to survive an avalanche, hunger and freezing winds.
