When Bill Kellogg, a headstrong airline pilot flies during bad weather and manages to land safely, he is fired. However, when Jim Horne, Bill's boss, learns that Bill has secretly wed Joan Hammond, the daughter of the airline's owner, he decides to keep Bill on. A fellow pilot, Ike Matthews, is told to make the first flight over the South American jungle to photograph potential landing fields, but Bill steals the plane to do the job himself. Bill continues even when he is radioed that there is insufficient fuel on board. Out of gas, Bill crash lands near an Indian village. The residents refuse to help Bill get back to his civilization. Finally an Indian woman, L-ana, helps Bill, but he is unable to get the radio working. Jim and Ike fly over the jungle, but a storm prevents them from spotting the village, so they continue on to Rio Vista. The two men meet Joan and for her sake, Jim organizes a rescue expedition. Led by natives, the convoy finds a village holding a doctor captive. A fierce battle follows and the doctor is freed from his captors. Meanwhile, Bill, despondent over his predicament, has taken on the native's ways by marrying L-ana. Jim's expedition finally locates the tribe, but when he sees Bill's living arrangements, the two men argue. Bill is ready to thoughtlessly desert L-ana, but as he leaves the village, L-ana's brother kills him. After returning to Rio Vista, Jim tells Joan that he learned Bill had died in the crash, sacrificing himself to avoid landing in a field full of women and children, many of whom might have died.